CF Monterrey booked their place in the Leagues Cup final after edging Club América 5-4 on penalties following a thrilling 2-2 draw in regulation. The semifinal at Dignity Health Sports Park delivered a high-intensity contest, with both Liga MX rivals trading attacking moments and spectacular goals before the match ultimately went to a shootout.
Monterrey kept their composure when it mattered most, converting all five of their penalty attempts to secure the victory. The result sends Monterrey through to Sunday’s Leagues Cup final, where they will face Toluca for the tournament title.
Monterrey Stun Club América in Shootout Thriller to Reach Leagues Cup Final
CF Monterrey secured a historic place in the Leagues Cup final after edging Club América 5-4 on penalties following a thrilling 2-2 draw at Dignity Health Sports Park. The Liga MX rivals produced an entertaining semifinal filled with attacking football and spectacular goals, but neither side could find a winner during regulation time. Monterrey kept its composure in the shootout, converting all five of its attempts to book a meeting with Toluca in Sunday’s final.
Club América controlled much of the opening half and came close to breaking the deadlock through Isaías Violante. The forward tested Esteban Andrada twice from inside the box, but the Monterrey goalkeeper produced two strong saves to keep the game scoreless. The breakthrough finally arrived four minutes into the second half when Diego Rossi caught everyone by surprise with a long-range effort that appeared to be a cross but sailed over the goalkeeper and into the net.
América responded quickly through Ramón Juárez, who collected the ball inside the box following a set piece before firing a left-footed strike past Andrada in the 57th minute. The comeback was completed seven minutes later when Alan Cervantes unleashed a stunning effort from distance to put América 2-1 ahead. Monterrey, however, earned a penalty after a foul on Orbelín Pineda, and Lucas Ocampos converted from the spot to restore parity at 2-2.
Neither team could produce another breakthrough during the remainder of regulation, sending the semifinal to penalties. Both sides remained perfect through the opening three rounds, with Raphael Veiga, Brian Rodríguez and Israel Reyes scoring for América, while Luca Orellano, Rossi and Víctor Guzmán converted for Monterrey. The decisive mistake came in the fourth round when Cervantes, despite scoring a spectacular goal earlier in the match, sent his penalty over the crossbar.
Jesús Corona then gave Monterrey the advantage by converting his attempt, leaving América needing to stay alive in the final round. Erick Sánchez kept the Mexican side in contention, but Hugo Cuypers calmly converted Monterrey’s decisive penalty to seal the 5-4 shootout victory. The result gives Monterrey its first-ever appearance in a Leagues Cup final and its first penalty shootout win in the competition.
Monterrey Set Up All-Liga MX Final Against Toluca
The result also sets up an all-Liga MX final against Toluca, which defeated Club León 2-0 in the other semifinal in Houston. Federico Pereira and Federico Viñas scored for Toluca, while Bruno Méndez was sent off after receiving two yellow cards and will miss the final. Monterrey and Toluca will meet for the Leagues Cup title on Sunday, September 6, while América will face León in the third-place match on the same day.
Monterrey’s victory also came despite América finishing with a significant advantage in corner kicks, 14-2. Rossi was the standout performer for Monterrey after opening the scoring with his spectacular long-range finish, while Cervantes’ memorable goal ultimately counted for little after his missed penalty proved decisive. The top three finishers in the tournament will also earn places in the 2027 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
