Chicago, August 25, 2023 - Club de Fútbol Monterrey secured its place in the Leagues Cup Quarterfinals after a dramatic final round of matches, thanks to the defeat of Cruz Azul by Chicago Fire. The team, which finished fourth in the Liga MX, will face Chicago Fire in the next round. Monterrey, which arrived at the final round hoping for a combination of results, managed to secure its goal with a victory against Nashville and the fall of other key teams, including Bravos de Juárez, Tigres, and now ‘La Máquina’. Monterrey qualified as the fourth place in the Liga MX and will face Chicago Fire, who is the number 1 of the MLS thanks to its last-minute victory with a double from Puso Dithejane.
The South African forward became the hero for the albiazules. He scored the 1-0 at minute 67 and also put the second in the extra time, eliminating ‘La Máquina’ in the last minute. The cementeros were close to spoiling the regiomontanos, when Nicolás Ibáñez, a familiar face in the Sultana del Norte, scored the equalizer at minute 81, giving the pass to the celestes. This elimination was not exempt from controversy, with two plays that directly influenced the score, both in favor of ‘La Máquina’. Ibáñez’s goal was reviewed for offside, in a tight play, in which the goal was finally validated at 1-1 for the cementeros. The attacking Argentine received the ball outside the area, controlled it, and scored with a powerful right-foot shot. The other controversy was in the Celeste area, where a goal by the Polish Robert Lewandowski was nullified for an apparent previous foul.
Monterrey fulfilled its part of the task, accumulating 6 points with victories against Inter Miami and Nashville, to surpass the first phase for the first time since 2023, when it reached the Semifinals, in the best performance of a Mexican team in the tournament. The Quarterfinals will be held from August 25 to 27, with the following matchups:
- Chicago Fire vs. Monterrey
- Toluca vs. Austin FC
- Real Salt Lake vs. León
- América vs. Columbus Crew
