As expected, Toluca had no problem with Caledonia AIA in their CONCACAF Champions League opener. Edgar Benitez, Miguel Almazan and Raul Nava all scored for the Choriceros in a simple 3-1 win to kick off their tournament campaign with three points at home.
Toluca vs. Caledonia AIA: Final score 3-1, Choriceros win Champions League opener
Toluca looked the part of Group 6 favorites with an easy win over Caledonia to open their Champions League account.
It took just 23 minutes for Toluca to go in front as a flicked on header found Edy Brambila, who quickly played Benitez in on goal. It was quick play by Toluca and by the time Caledonia could react to what happened, Benitez was slotting the ball past Glenroy Samuel.
Six minutes later, Almazan was hitting a rocket by Samuel to double the lead. The defense couldn’t be beaten on this one because it came on a 30-yard free kick that Almazan hit as well as possible. It got over the wall and made a beeline for the back of the net, where it settled well beyond an outstretched Samuel.
Toluca were never bothered, keeping the ball for long stretches and generating the bulk of the chances. When Nava made it 3-0 at the hour mark it made the scoreline reflect the run of play. Toluca continued to pepper the goal while, to that point, Caledonia hadn’t even taken a shot inside of 20 yards.
Three minutes from time, Julian Wade finally gave Caledonia something to cheer about when he scored from five yards out, but by then the match was long over. Toluca had their three points, setting them up for the next matchday when they take on Comunicaciones in Guatemala with a chance to grab a stranglehold of Group 6.
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