Mexico and America goalkeeper Luis Malagón missed a decisive 10th penalty in the shootout and the Colorado Rapids eliminated the last remaining Mexican league team in the 2024 Leagues Cup, the Águilas del América, on Saturday night by a score of 9-8 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson before 22,462 fans.
In this way, the semifinals of the 2024 Leagues Cup will have LAFC facing Colorado on Wednesday, while Columbus Crew will face the Philadelphia Union, in a tournament that should highlight the rivalry between the Mexican and American teams, but in which the Liga MX clubs once again failed to deliver for the second year in a row as none could reach the semifinal round.
The match ended 0-0 in regular time after the two-time Mexican champion missed several opportunities, 20 shots on goal during the match, although the Rapids also had their respective chances (7).
“We are sad because we were working hard to get ahead. I think we had a lot to fight for the championship,” said André Jardine, América coach. “We had three very easy opportunities that we normally don’t miss.”
“It is a failure, a defeat. You can choose any adjective, any one is fair,” said Jardine.
The Eagles had many opportunities to score in the first half, including one from Brian Rodriguez and a couple of clearer chances from Diego Valdes in the second half. Zack Steffen was the hero in the match and also in the penalty shootout, blocking a shot from Igor Lichnovsky when América only needed to score that goal to win the match.
In the penalty shootout, Djordje Mihailovic, Bassett Cole, Andreas Maxso and Ronan Connor scored for Colorado. Malagón blocked Rafael Navarro’s shot. In sudden death, Keegan Rosenberry, Oliver Larraz, Samuel Vines, Calvin Harris and Steffen himself scored.
Colorado Rapids teammates celebrate as Club America goalkeeper Luis Malagon, bottom right, reacts on the ground after Malagon missed a penalty during the penalty shootout of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal match Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/Raul Romero Jr.)
(Raul Romero Jr. / Associated Press)
For America, Henry Martín, Israel Reyes, Erick Sánchez, and Sebastián Cáceres scored, while Lichnovsky missed his decisive shot. In sudden death, Cristian Calderón, Illian Hernández, Álvaro Fidalgo, and Dagoberto Espinoza scored. Malagón missed the decisive shot with an attempt that did not even touch the crossbar.
“We didn’t really lose the game on penalties, we lost the game in the 90 minutes, because we couldn’t score when we had to. We are all responsible on the field,” said Henry Martín, América’s top scorer, who couldn’t do much during the match.
“It’s a huge thing for us,” Rapids coach Chris Armas said. “It’s rare to be on teams like this where they put the group first. What you hear is happiness, which only sports and football can bring.”
Armas said they had a plan to limit possession of the ball to players like Jonathan Dos Santos and Fidalgo, as well as Rodríguez.
Club America goalkeeper Luis Malagon, right, misses a penalty kick against Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Zackary Steffen during a penalty shootout in a quarterfinal match of the Liga MX Cup soccer league, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/Raul Romero Jr.)
(Raul Romero Jr. / Associated Press)
“We beat a great team,” said Armas, who played several times for the Mexican national team and was a teammate of Cuauhtémoc Blanco on the Chicago Fire. His team defeated four Mexican teams in this tournament: León, Juárez, Toluca and América.
“If these games were played in Mexico, I think it would be a different story,” Armas said.
The result settles the three tickets to the CONCACAF Champions Cup that were up for grabs: LAFC, Rapids and Philadelphia, all MLS teams.
After the match, Jardine said that the level of MLS is very similar to that of Liga MX and that the conditions favor those of the American league in two important factors: playing at home and the time of the season in which the tournament is played, since the MLS teams are in the final stretch of their tournament, while the Mexican competition has just begun.
“There is a balance between the MLS and Liga MX teams, the levels are very similar,” said Jardine.
In Seattle, LAFC advanced to the Leagues Cup semifinals for the first time in club history with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over the Sounders on Saturday night at Lumen Field in Seattle. Ryan Hollingshead and Kei Kamara scored in the first half, before Denis Bouanga added his 11th goal of the competition shortly after the break, becoming the all-time leading scorer in Leagues Cup history.
