MIAMI, Florida – The six teams from North America still alive in the 2023 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League were all in action over the weekend in their respective domestic leagues prior to this week’s SCCL quarterfinal second legs.
Denis Bouanga remained scorching hot and enjoyed another multi-goal game in Los Angeles FC’s 3-0 home win versus Austin FC, keeping last year’s MLS champions unbeaten on the season at 4W-2D-0L and third in the Western Conference.
Just three days after bagging a brace and adding an assist in LAFC’s 3-0 first leg win at the Vancouver Whitecaps, Denis Bouanga notched a hat trick to supply all of the LAFC scoring on Saturday.
Bouanga started things off in the 40’ with a powerful shot that glanced off the inside of the post and rippled the net for a 1-0 lead. A thunderous volley in the 57’ doubled the margin to 2-0 before he capped off his memorable day in the 68’ with a right-footed gem into the top of the net to complete the 3-0 scoreline.
The Vancouver Whitecaps shook off the disappointment of their first leg defeat to LAFC to defeat the Portland Timbers 1-0 on Saturday in Vancouver.
The Whitecaps were pelting the Portland goal all evening long and finally broke through with the game’s lone goal in the 74’, as Julian Gressel smashed in a cross that Brian White redirected into net for the 1-0 victory.
Vancouver is now 2W-3D-2L on the season and eighth in the Western Conference.
The Philadelphia Union returned to the field of play after their 1-0 first leg win at home against Liga MX side Atlas, only to narrowly fall to FC Cincinnati 1-0 on Saturday night in Cincinnati.
The Union are 10th in the Eastern Conference table with a 2W-1D-4L record.
🗣️ M-V-P M-V-P M-V-P pic.twitter.com/MCzwpdcsMj
— LAFC (@LAFC) April 9, 2023
LIGA MX
In Liga MX action over the weekend, Atlas picked up a big point away from home in a 1-1 final with FC Juarez, improving to 2W-8D-4L on the season and 13th place in the table.
The game opened with a spectacular save from GK Camilo Vargas and it inspired the Atlas attack, as Julian Quinones handed the visitors a 1-0 lead in the 6’ with a superb goal by using his chest to control a pass and then volleying into goal.
FC Juarez were able to pull level before halftime, but were down nine men to start the second half because of a pair of red cards.
Atlas tried to regain the lead with the two-man advantage, but a subsequent red card to Brian Lozano and good goalkeeping from Juarez’s Alfredo Talavera resulted in a 1-1 final.
Club Leon also picked up a result in their return to domestic action with a 0-0 home draw against Cruz Azul, leaving La Fiera with a 7W-5D-2L mark and fourth in the table.
Just three days after recording a clean sheet in the 5-0 first leg win over Haitian club Violette, Club Leon GK Rodolfo Cota delivered another top performance with two saves and several key interventions to register another clean sheet.
After posting a 1-0 win at Motagua of Honduras in midweek, Tigres narrowly fell 2-1 at home to Mazatlan and are now seventh in the table with a 6W-3D-5L record.
Tigres found themselves in a 2-0 hole at halftime and tried to dig themselves out in the second 45 minutes. The deficit was cut to 2-1 in the 76’ when Sebastian Cordova played in a cross that was not touched by anyone and ended up in the net for a Tigres goal.
Tigres pushed for a late equalizer, but on the night Mazatlan GK Ricardo Daniel Gutierrez was at his very best and made several top-notch saves to secure the three points for the visitors.
At the end of the game, Tigres UANL announced the separation of coach Marco Antonio Ruiz and appointed Roberto Dante Siboldi as their new coach for the remainder of the 2023 season.
