Toluca holds América in Final First Leg with a 0–0 draw at Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes, leaving the championship wide open ahead of the May 26 decider.
Toluca held Club América to a 0–0 draw in the first leg of the Liga MX Clausura final at Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes on May 22, forcing a winner-take-all return match in Toluca on May 26. Toluca’s defense and goalkeeper Luis Manuel García stood firm while América dominated possession without finding the breakthrough.
América controlled 62 percent of possession but managed only four shots on target. Their best chance came in the 19th minute, when Paraguayan forward Robert Morales drove a low strike toward the corner, only to see América keeper Luis Ángel Malagón push the ball wide. Seven minutes later, Colombian defender Cristian Borja met a corner with a powerful header, but Toluca center-back Luan García cleared off the line.
Toluca coach Antonio “Turco” Mohamed set up his side in a compact 4-4-2 formation, inviting América to probe before launching quick counters. “We knew they’d have the ball,” Mohamed said. “Our plan was simple: stay organized, win second balls and hit them on the break.” His players executed with discipline, cutting off passing lanes and pressing in numbers when América entered the box.
Luis Manuel García reinforced that strategy with several key saves. In the 26th minute, Spanish midfielder Álvaro Fidalgo unleashed a curling effort from 20 yards. García leapt to his left and tipped the ball over the bar. He then denied Henry Martín on a close-range header just before halftime, keeping the match scoreless and silencing an América crowd of more than 30,000.
América coach André Jardine lamented his side’s lack of cutting edge. “We moved the ball well but we failed to finish,” he said. “In finals, fine margins decide outcomes. We missed our chance today.” Jardine insisted América can adjust in the second leg, pointing to the return match at Nemesio Díez Stadium as a fresh opportunity.
The second half followed a similar pattern. América held possession in Toluca’s half for long spells but never tested García again. Toluca countered twice in quick succession: first through Juan González, whose whipped cross narrowly evaded forward Erick Sáenz, and then via a long-range volley from winger Pedro Herrera that forced Malagón into a smart save.
Neither team made a tactical switch until the 70th minute, when Jardine brought on veteran winger Joe Corona to add pace down the right. Corona delivered two dangerous crosses in the final 15 minutes, but Toluca defenders Francisco Cervantes and Diego Reyes blocked both before García scooped up loose balls.
With 15 minutes left, Toluca nearly snatched victory. A corner routine saw Morales flick the ball back across goal, but Herrera’s close-range volley skimmed the post. The stadium erupted, only for the assistant referee’s flag to rule the shot offside. The reprieve cleared América’s goal and set up a nervy finale.
As full-time approached, América threw numbers forward. Martín and Federico Vázquez combined on the edge of the box, but their low cross was hacked away by Toluca’s defense. In stoppage time, Jardine ran onto the pitch to urge his forwards on, but the final whistle blew before another chance materialized.
The 0–0 draw leaves the title within reach of both sides. América needs only a win in the return leg to secure its fourth straight championship. Toluca, chasing an 11th crown, must either win or draw by two goals at Nemesio Díez Stadium on May 26. A 1–1 tie would hand Toluca the title on the away-goals rule.
This final feels wide open. América must sharpen its finishing and break through Toluca’s deep-lying defense. Toluca will aim to replicate its disciplined display and exploit counter-attacks in front of its home fans. Whoever adapts best to these stakes in the second leg is likely to lift the trophy.
