MIAMI, Florida – Costa Rican club Herediano will be trying to turn the tables on Liga MX side Toluca when the two sides meet in the second leg of their 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup Round One series on Thursday night at the Estadio Nemesio Diez in Toluca, Mexico.
Last week in the first leg in Costa Rica, Toluca came away with a 2-1 victory. However, a late goal by Herediano’s Deyver Vega restored hope to the Ticos going into Thursday’s return leg in Mexico.
Herediano now hit the road in hopes of riding the momentum of that late Vega strike into a comeback win in the series.
It was Vega’s second career Champions Cup goal, with Orlando Galo providing the assist. Galo enjoyed a good performance in the first leg, completing 14 passes and making two ball recoveries in addition to his assist.
Elias Aguilar, who led Herediano in shots (3) and passes (48) last week, is another player along with Vega and Galo that will need to be at their best if Herediano are to rally.
The first leg victory snapped a four-match winless skid in Champions Cup play for Toluca, as they will now try to secure passage to the Round of 16 on home soil.
Andres Pereira and Roberto Morales tallied the two Toluca goals in the first leg, the latter becoming the fourth Paraguayan player to score in Champions Cup play with Toluca.
Tomas Belmonte also enjoyed a solid performance by assisting on the Pereira goal and completing 91 percent of his pass, plus two ball recoveries, while Carlos Orrantia assisted on the Morales score.
Match Officials Deportivo Toluca FC (MEX) vs CS Herediano (CRC)
REF: ARMANDO VILLARREAL (USA)
AR1: CORY RICHARDSON (USA)
AR2: LOGAN BROWN (USA)
4TH: OSHANE NATION (Jamaica)
VAR: EKATERINA KOROLEVA (USA)
VAR1: DREW FISCHER (Canada)
