MIAMI, Florida – One of the most intriguing match-ups of Round One of the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup pits Costa Rican club Herediano against two-time Concacaf champions Toluca of Liga MX.
The 2024 tournament represents Herediano’s 16th participation in the Champions Cup, while Toluca will be making their 13th appearance. However, this pairing will be the first time these two Concacaf stalwarts have ever squared off in a Concacaf tournament.
Herediano are certainly very familiar with Liga MX opposition, having faced eight different Mexican sides in their Champions Cup history. Through the years, the Ticos have amassed a history of earning positive results against Mexican opposition.
The very first came way back in the inaugural edition of the Champions Cup in 1962 when they fell 2-0 and 3-0 in a pair of matches with eventual champions Chivas.
Herediano would have to wait 27 years before getting another chance against a Mexican opponent, as they faced Leones Negros and then Pumas in the 1989 tournament.
A 2-1 win and a 1-1 draw against Leones Negros in the Third Round led to a date with Pumas in the Fourth Round, where they drew 1-1 before falling 5-1.
Five years later in the 1994 edition, Herediano would get another solid result, playing to a 3-3 draw against Atlante in their Second Round first leg, followed by a 3-1 defeat in the return leg.
It was a similar story in the 2009-10 Preliminary Round. A strong home performance in the first leg yielded a 0-0 draw with Cruz Azul, however the away leg in Mexico ended in a 6-2 defeat.
The 2011-12 Champions Cup saw Herediano fall 5-0 and 1-0 to Monterrey in the group stage, followed by 3-0 and 2-1 defeats to Cruz Azul in the 2013-14 group stage.
The tide turned, though, in the 2014-15 Champions Cup, as Herediano were excellent in the group stage, drawing 1-1 at Club Leon and then winning 2-1 at home to finish atop their group and reach the knockout stage.
Herediano would advance to the semifinals and earned a 3-0 first leg win at home against Club America, but a 6-0 loss in the second leg in Mexico led to elimination.
That was followed by three consecutive Champions Cup editions in which Herediano went up against Liga MX heavyweights Tigres. As ever, Herediano were feisty, beginning with 1-1 and 0-0 draws in the 2015-16 group stage.
Herediano suffered 3-1 and 3-0 defeats in the 2016-17 group stage, but then took Tigres to the limit in the 2018 Round of 16, drawing 2-2 at home before a narrow 3-1 loss away in the second leg.
Overall, in 24 matches against Liga MX opposition, Herediano have either gotten a victory or a draw in 11 of those matches, meaning Toluca can expect a similar fight when these two sides square off in their Round One first leg on February 7 in Costa Rica.
