Club America hosts CF Pachuca in the first leg of their 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal series on Tuesday at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
America put on an offensive display in the quarterfinals, winning 9-2 on aggregate over the New England Revolution. The team previously earned a 5-3 aggregate win over rivals Guadalajara in the Round of 16. America started its campaign with a 3-2 aggregate win over Nicaraguan side Real Estelí in Round One.
Henry Martin and Julian Quiñones are an offensive power duo for America, co-leading the team with six Liga MX goals in the Clausura 2024 and three Champions Cup goals each. Alejandro Zendejas leads the team with four CCC goals while Diego Valdes leads the team with three CCC assists.
Pachuca entered this year’s edition in the Round of 16 with a 6-0 aggregate win over the Philadelphia Union. The Tuzos continued their offensive display in a 7-1 aggregate win over CS Herediano in the quarterfinals.
Salomon Rondon has been a talisman for Pachuca with seven CCC goals, leading the Golden Boot Race. He also co-leads the current Liga MX top scorer charts with eight league goals. Rondon scored back-to-back hat-tricks, in the second leg of the Round of 16 and the first leg of the quarterfinals. Oussama Idrissi has also been vital, having four assists for Pachuca.
America has lifted the Champions Cup on seven occasions, the most of any club, and Pachuca is a five-time winner. Despite their decorated history, the two Mexican clubs will face each other for the first time at any stage of the tournament.
Since the introduction of Apertura and Clausura tournaments in Liga MX, the two have faced each other 65 times. Pachuca has won 27 times, America 21 times, and 17 draws. The latest meeting came in a 2-1 Pachuca home victory thanks to a brace from Erick Sanchez, with Julian Quiñones scoring for America, on February 17.
In the Liga MX playoffs, Pachuca has been victorious five times in six series with America. Internationally, they met in the Round of 16 of the 2007 CONMEBOL Copa Sudamericana, with Club America securing a 4-3 victory on aggregate en route to a runners-up finish.
Match Officials Club America (MEX) vs CF Pachuca (MEX)
REF: ISMAIL ELFATH (USA)
AR1: COREY PARKER (USA)
AR2: KYLE ATKINS (USA)
4TH: RUBIEL VAZQUEZ (USA)
VAR: ALLEN CHAPMAN (USA)
VAR1: JOSEPH DICKERSON (USA)
