An Osvaldo Martinez goal in the 82nd minute proved to be the only goal of the game as Monterrey beat 10-man Toluca 1-0 in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal on Wednesday. The victory, at Toluca’s Estadio Nemesio Diez, gives Monterrey a significant advantage as they head home for the second leg on March 3. Because of the away-goal tiebreaker, Toluca would essentially have to win by two goals in order to advance to the semifinals.
Toluca Vs. Monterrey, CONCACAF Champions League: Monterrey Beats 10-Man Toluca 1-0
Martinez’s goal came on a free kick from about 25 yards out and beat Miguel Centeno just inside the post. Martinez had entered the game about 20 minutes earlier as a substitute for William Paredes. The goal was the culmination of a half in which Monterrey finally started to exert their will on short-handed Toluca.
Toluca was put in a hole early on when Luis Arias was sent off with a straight red card in the around the 10th minute. Arias had gone up for a using his elbow while leaping for the ball. His elbow connected with the head of Jesus Zavala, who remained on the pitch for several minutes after the incident.
Although Toluca did an admirable job of trying to push the game, they were never able to sustain any real pressure. Monterrey controlled the possession for much of the match.
See More:
