By Tony Álvarez
Club Tigres earned a crucial 2-1 win in their push to reach the next round of the Leagues Cup, thanks to another dominant performance from Ángel Correa. His brace secured the victory over San Diego FC, who now find themselves on the verge of elimination.
It was a frustrating first half for the home side, who created more chances but failed to capitalize. The warning signs were there early, as Tigres' Diego Lainez unleashed a powerful right-footed shot in the 15th minute that narrowly missed the target.
Despite SDFC's control, it was Tigres who struck first in the 32nd minute. Juan Brunetta launched a long-range effort that was parried by goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega, but the rebound fell to Correa. The Argentine calmly flicked the ball past the keeper and slotted it into the net, giving Tigres the lead with his third goal in just two Leagues Cup matches.
San Diego continued to press but couldn't find the finishing touch before halftime. That changed shortly after the break. The MLS side created more pressure, and in the 55th minute, after a scramble in the box and a series of deflections, Onni Valakari’s shot hit a defender and fell to Tomás Ángel, who buried the equalizer.
Just as SDFC looked to be gaining momentum, Correa struck again.
In the 67th minute, San Diego’s defense failed to clear a ball, and Juan Brunetta intercepted it before feeding Correa, who was charging into the box from the right. The Argentine delivered another lethal finish, scoring his fourth goal in two games to restore Tigres' lead.
San Diego FC had a few more chances late in the game but failed to seriously threaten Tigres' advantage. After the final whistle, the Liga MX side stood in a strong position with six points, well on their way to the knockout stage. Meanwhile, the MLS newcomers dropped another match in their first-ever Leagues Cup appearance, still searching for their first point.
REACTIONS:
- Tigres UANL Head Coach Guido Pizarro:
- "I'm happy with the team's performance. We knew it was going to be a very difficult match against a tough opponent, but I think we played good football. I'm happy with Ángel (Correa), who's adapting very nicely, credit to his teammates who have treated him very well from day one."
- San Diego Head Coach Mikey Varas:
- “This experience is gold for the group. After not having a single game as a club in January, we now have 25 league games and two against Liga MX teams, two very strong teams, and the boys have shown they can compete against everyone.”
PLAYERS OF THE MATCH:
- Tigres UANL:
- Ángel Correa stole the show again, netting his second brace in as many games to take a hold of the early tournament scoring lead.
- San Diego FC:
- 22-year-old, Tomás Ángel, scored his first Leagues Cup goal in his first year participating.
GAME NOTES:
- Club Tigres remains undefeated in Leagues Cup 2025 and they have now won five of their last six games at Leagues Cup.
- Ángel Correa scored two goals for the second straight game in Leagues Cup game and now has four goals in four games with Tigres.
- Second straight game André-Pierre Gignac is subbed in, and the third time in his last four games he comes off the bench.
- Hirving Lozano did not start but subbed in at the 62 minute and only registered one shot attempt.
- Anders Dreyer was suspended for this matchup after a red card in the previous game, and he was clearly missed on the attacking third.
CARDS/INJURY REPORT:
- Yellow Cards
- Tigres UANL: Jesús Garza
- San Diego: David Vázquez, Aiden Harangi, Luca Bombino
LOOKING AHEAD:
- Tigres will play their next match against LAFC on August 5th
- San Diego will play their next match against Mazatlán on August 5th
