Two first-half goals from Maximiliano Meza sparked Monterrey to a 3-0 win over the Columbus Crew on Wednesday in Guadalupe, Mexico, and a 5-2 aggregate victory in a CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal series.
The teams played to a 2-2 draw last week in the first leg of the two-game, total-goals series.
Monterrey advances to a semifinal matchup against another Mexican club, Cruz Azul, which completed a 4-1 aggregate victory over Toronto FC on Tuesday. The two-leg semifinals will be contested in mid-August and mid-September.
In the fourth minute Wednesday, Monterrey’s Vincent Janssen sent a low cross into the 6-yard box, and Crew goalie Eloy Room dived and pushed the ball in front. An unmarked Meza tapped the ball into the open right side of the net.
The same pair connected in the 26th minute. Janssen won an aerial duel and controlled the ball to enter the penalty area in a two-on-one with Meza. He rolled the ball to Meza, who fired in a low shot from 14 yards out.
Miguel Layun sealed Monterrey’s win in the 71st minute, firing in a 25-yard free kick from dead center into the top right corner.
The final CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal series was due to conclude later Wednesday night with Club America playing host to the Portland Timbers in Mexico City. That series was level at 1-1 following the first leg in Oregon last week.
–Field Level Media