ESPN FC’s Tom Marshall catches up with Jorge Villafana, who helped Santos win the Liga MX title two days after being robbed at gunpoint.
MEXICO CITY — Santos Laguna cemented one of Mexico’s most memorable playoff runs in recent history on Sunday, beating Toluca 3-2 on aggregate to win their sixth league championship.
On the way to glory, they defeated three teams with 28 league titles between them — a feat never accomplished before in Liga MX. In addition, they did it without the benefit of the big names that have seemingly been flooding the Mexican league for years now.
There was no sight of Andre-Pierre Gignac, Keisuke Honda,…
TOLUCA, Mexico — Santos Laguna held on to draw 1-1 against Toluca on Sunday and win their sixth Liga MX title. Julio Furch opened the scoring for Santos in the 10th minute, with Gabriel Hauche leveling in the 82nd minute. Los Guerreros took a memorable series 3-2 on aggregate.
Here are three takeaways from Estadio Nemesio Diez:
1. The best playoff team won
There are two ways of looking at Santos Laguna’s victory over Toluca. Some would say Toluca was the best team in Liga MX all Clausura and…
Santos are in control of the Liga MX final, but the FC crew are not ruling out Toluca as they head home for the second leg. TOLUCA, Mexico — Santos Laguna coach Robert Siboldi is adamant his side will not be going out simply to defend its 2-1 lead over Toluca from the first leg of the 2018 Clausura final in Sunday’s return game.
Regular season leader Toluca is undefeated at Estadio Nemesio Diez in Liga MX play in 2018, but Siboldi’s side will “go out to win” in one of Mexico’s most difficult away stadiums.
“Without doubt playing in front of their fans can help them, but on the pitch are the players, no one from the stands…
Santos are in control of the Liga MX final, but the FC crew are not ruling out Toluca as they head home for the second leg.
United States international and Santos Laguna defender Jorge Villafana was robbed a day after the first leg of the Liga …
The lights went out at Santos Laguna but that didn’t hinder the party atmosphere in the stands one bit.
TORREON, Mexico — The crowd failed to notice for more than a moment.
Awash in ecstasy over Julio Furch’s late winner, most fans were oblivious to the fact the lights had gone out in the north tower of the Estadio Corona.
It was the kind of interruption most Santos supporters would have welcomed at an earlier stage of the game — most likely, when the home team was trailing, fruitlessly searching for an equalizer in the first leg of the Liga MX final and facing the dark prospect of visiting Toluca…
The lights went out at Santos Laguna but that didn’t hinder the party atmosphere in the stands one bit.
TORREON, Mexico — The crowd failed to notice for more than a moment.
Awash in ecstasy over Julio Furch’s late winner, most fans were oblivious to the fact the lights had gone out in the north tower of the Estadio Corona.
It was the kind of interruption most Santos supporters would have welcomed at an earlier stage of the game. Most likely, when the home team was trailing, fruitlessly searching for an equalizer in the first leg of the Liga MX final and facing the dark prospect of visiting Toluca…
TORREON, Mexico — Djaniny Tavares and Julio Furch were the saviors for Santos Laguna on Thursday, as Los Guerreros came from behind to defeat Toluca 2-1 in the first leg of the Liga MX final.
1. Santos Laguna show heart in comeback victory
Toluca flexed its muscles early on inside Estadio Corona. At times in the first half, the side looked like it was ready to overpower Santos Laguna, in line with a Clausura in which Los Diablos Rojos have been Mexico’s best team.
There were early chances…
Santos
Toluca
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Leg 1
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Goals from Djaniny Tavares and Julio Furch helped Santos Laguna come from behind to defeat Toluca 2-1 in the first leg of the Liga MX 2018 Clausura final on Thursday in Estadio Corona.
Luis Quinones put Toluca ahead in the 53rd minute, but the season’s top scorer Djaniny rounded keep Alfredo Talavera and leveled the score in the 71st, with Furch netting the winner in the 89th.
The second leg will take place at Toluca’s Estadio Nemesio Diez on Sunday, as the club looks for its 11th Liga MX title…
The ESPN FC crew preview the two-legged Liga MX final and share their predictions for who will come out on top.
TORREON, Mexico — Jonathan Orozco is used to being overlooked. That doesn’t mean he’s happy about it. Eighteen months ago, the Monterrey native was displaced from his boyhood team, Rayados, when then-manager Antonio Mohamed signed goalkeeper Hugo Gonzalez from Club America.
After 20 years with the club, two league titles, three CONCACAF Champions’ League wins and two Best Goalkeeper of the Year awards in Liga MX, the 32-year-old Orozco was shipped off to Santos Laguna before the 2017 season where…