By Erick De La Rosa
Estadio Nemesio Diez was the setting for another Toluca victory, as Los Diablos Rojos defeated FC Dallas 3-1 to secure their place in the Leagues Cup Quarterfinals.
Toluca had already taken two shots within the opening five minutes, and on its third dangerous attack, the home side earned a penalty. Alexis Vega converted from the spot in the eighth minute to open the scoring.
FC Dallas responded just one minute later on its first attack in Toluca territory. Kaick Ferreira fired from long range, and his effort took a deflection off teammate Petar Musa, who ultimately redirected the ball into the back of the net.
The hosts looked to regain the overwhelming rhythm they had established in the opening minutes. This time, however, Dallas was better organized defensively, disrupting play with fouls, closing down spaces in the final third and creating problems with recoveries in midfield that allowed the visitors to look for quick transitions and counterattacking opportunities.
However, toward the end of the first half, the Texas side's defensive solidity began to fade, and Toluca regained the lead when Federico Viñas scored from a Helinho assist in the 45+2 minute.
After the break, Toluca did not take long to find the net again. In the 50th minute, Erick Gutiérrez met a pass from Jesús Gallardo with a first-time finish, precisely placing his shot near the post to make it 3-1.
From that point on, most of the action took place in the visitors' half. Toluca circulated the ball and controlled possession, patiently searching for spaces to create another scoring opportunity. FC Dallas remained organized defensively to avoid ending its Leagues Cup campaign with a heavier defeat.
With the victory, Toluca secured its place in the Leagues Cup Quarterfinals and moved provisionally into second place among the Liga MX teams, with the possibility of climbing one spot higher if Club América loses.
REACTIONS
- Toluca Head Coach Antonio Mohamed
- “Regarding qualification, we’re very happy because we were able to get through. But we had to take care of our own business. That’s what I said yesterday: we needed to win and then see how the other results played out. Things went our way yesterday, so now we’ll see who we face next. But we’re calm because we did our part, and we’re back in the decisive stages of the tournament, just as we had planned.”
PLAYERS OF THE MATCH
- Toluca
- Federico Viñas scored the second goal that gave the home side a 2-1 lead and was a constant nightmare for the FC Dallas defense. His movement kept the three-man backline of the MLS side in check at the Nemesio Diez.
GAME NOTES
- Estadio Nemesio Diez did its job and was vital for the home side to get the three points and advance to the quarterfinals.
- Two out of two for Toluca at Estadio Nemesio Diez, the Diablos Rojos won against San Diego and against Dallas on Mexican soil.
- FC Dallas was eliminated after falling on Mexican soil despite its two victories in the opening matchdays, a very bittersweet feeling for the Texas side.
CARDS/INJURY REPORT
- Yellow Cards:
- Toluca: Federico Pereira (33’)
- Dallas: Ramiro Benetti (17’), Osaze Urhoghide (77’), Ran Benjamin (79’)
LOOKING AHEAD
- Toluca's next match is in Liga MX vs Atlante on August 15
- Dallas next match in MLS vs Austin FC on August 16
