Salomón Rondón scored a double to lead Pachuca’s 3-0 win over Columbus last night and thus become champions of the region for the sixth time by winning the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Venezuelan striker Rondón opened the scoring in the 12th minute, after receiving a filtered pass that he resolved with a dive upon entering the area; In the second half he scored his second goal with a half turn, which he finished low to send into the nets in the 67th minute. Miguel Rodríguez extended the lead in the first half by scoring a counterattack with a powerful left foot shot high in the 32nd minute.
“We were intense, we were superior at all times, it is a great credit to the entire team,” said Rondón. “Now, another dream to fulfill, to play in a Club World Cup, so we are very happy… I am very happy, today football gives me another revenge and another title.”
With this victory at the Hidalgo stadium, the Tuzos obtained the right to be part of the next edition of the Club World Cup in 2025, a competition that will have the participation of 32 teams, including Real Madrid, current champion of the Champions League.
“We set out from the first game in Philadelphia, that we had to be in that Club World Cup no matter what, and whatever the cost; thank God we achieved it with effort and work,” said Rodríguez.
Los Tuzos maintained their perfect record in club tournament finals in the region; With six crowns (2002, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2017 and 2024) they equal the Rayados in second historical position, remaining only one title away from the record held by América.
Rondón, a 34-year-old veteran who joined Pachuca for this season, scored 19 goals in all competitions (10 in the league and nine in the Champions Cup).
The Venezuelan could have added an assist to his stellar individual performance, however the goal that Oussama Idrissi scored with his pass in the 14th minute was invalidated by Salvadoran referee Iván Arcides Barton after assessing in the video replay a foul by Rondón in the start of the play.
The dominance of the Tuzos was clear from the first half with Rondón’s goal and Rodríguez’s extension after half an hour, a period in which the visitors did not disturb their goal.
The Columbus Crew arrived at the Tuzos field as the executioner of two Mexican teams after eliminating the Tigres and the Rayados in the previous elimination rounds to avoid a potential tricolor final.
Despite the rout, goalkeeper Patrick Schulte was the star of the American team, after making several interventions that prevented the defeat from becoming much heavier during the second half.
With this result, Mexican soccer consolidated its dominance in regional tournaments with 39 club titles since its first edition in 1962; Costa Rican football is next on the list with six titles, while the American teams took three awards.
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2024-06-03 04:33:36