🇲🇽😈 In the Liguilla, the league's biggest stars are already shining
Alexis Vega, Alejandro Zendejas & more set the pace. PLUS: That Tigres-Necaxa ending + the Conca-catch-up goes all over Central America!
This week, we start in Liga MX but also have stadium shifts in Costa Rica, bricks through car windows in Honduras, a manager leaving El Salvador in a huff and an update on the hope of a relegated champion in Guatemala - plus other notes from around the region!
Alexis Vega will not be stopped…
Toluca 4-4 Monterrey (Toluca moves through thanks to better regular season finish)
The best player in the Liga MX regular season was Mexico winger Alexis Vega, who led the goals+assists charts with 17 contributions. After a topsy-turvy first leg that saw Monterrey earn a 3-2 win over Toluca, the second leg immediately took on a different tone when Helinho was shown an early red card that took the Diablos Rojos down to 10 men.
It wouldn’t matter, with Vega serving as the only attacking outlet the team needed. He kept creating chances, scored the first goal and then was right there to celebrate as running buddy Paulinho headed in a second goal that made Rayados’ second-half opener a moot point.
Last season, Toluca had a good campaign only to be embarrassed at the quarterfinal stage. This time around, the stars showed up. The best players rose to the occasion. Vega was superb, Paulinho was there to finish, Jesus Gallardo got forward to further put pressure on Rayados’ defense and the excellent crowd helped propel Toluca to a victory. It’s now onto the semis.