The Red Devils of Toluca FC celebrated their championship triumph by defeating the Tigres 9-8 in a dramatic penalty shootout at the end of regulation time, which ended 2-1 in favor of Toluca. Key goals from Helio Nunes and Paulinho in regular time ensured their advancement to penalties after Fernando Gorriarán had initially found the net for Tigres.
In the tense shootout, Toluca’s successful penalty takers included Alexis Vega, Santiago Simón, Jesús Gallardo, Franco Romero, Oswaldo Virgen, Fernando Arce, Bruno Méndez, Diego Barbosa, and Alexis Vega once more. On the side of Tigres, Fernando Gorriarán, Ozziel Herrera, Uriel Antuna, Ángel Correa, Juan Pablo Vigón, Juan José Purata, Jesús Garza, and Javier Aquino converted their kicks. However, Nicolás Ibáñez, Joaquim Pereira, and Nahuel Guzmán all failed to score, which ultimately decided the match.
Tigres came close to equalizing late in the game, when Rômulo’s striking effort hit the woodwork and denied them a crucial equalizer.
The performance of Nahuel Guzmán, the Tigres goalkeeper, was outstanding as he managed to save 10 shots throughout the match, frequently keeping his team in contention.
Paulinho was a standout performer for Toluca, netting a goal and attempting four shots during the game, proving pivotal to his team’s success.
Toluca’s head coach, Antonio Mohamed, fielded a 4-4-2 formation with Luis García in goal; defenders included Santiago Simón, Everardo López, Andrés Pereira, and Jesús Gallardo; the midfield featured Jesús Angulo, Marcel Ruiz, Franco Romero, and Nicolás Castro; and leading the attack were Helio Nunes and Paulinho.
On the other hand, Tigres, managed by Guido Pizarro, employed a 4-5-1 setup with Nahuel Guzmán as goalkeeper; defenders were Jesús Garza, Joaquim Pereira, Juan José Purata, and Marco Farfan; the midfield comprised Rômulo, Fernando Gorriarán, Diego Lainez, Juan Brunetta, and Ángel Correa; while André-Pierre Gignac was positioned as the lone striker up front.
Refereeing was handled by César Ramos Palazuelos, who oversaw the intense match.
This victory marks a significant achievement for Toluca FC, as they successfully denied Tigres and secured the prestigious Liga MX trophy.
Substitutions for Toluca FC
112’ A2 – Marcel Ruiz off for Fernando Arce; Everardo López off for Oswaldo Virgen.
72’ 2T – Helio Nunes off for Juan Domínguez.
79’ 2T – Jesús Angulo off for Alexis Vega.
90’ A1 – Nicolás Castro off for Bruno Méndez.
92’ 2T – Paulinho off for Diego Barbosa.
Yellow Cards for Toluca FC:
12’ 1T – Andrés Pereira (Unsporting behavior); 47’ 1T – Santiago Simón (Unsporting behavior); 23’ 2T – Paulinho (Unsporting behavior); 11’ A2 – Diego Barbosa (Delay of game).
Substitutions for Tigres
105’ A2 – Rômulo off for Juan Pablo Vigón; Diego Lainez off for Uriel Antuna.
45’ 2T – Marco Farfan off for Javier Aquino.
56’ 2T – André-Pierre Gignac off for Nicolás Ibáñez.
89’ 2T – Juan Brunetta off for Ozziel Herrera.
Yellow Cards for Tigres:
18’ 2T – Ángel Correa (Unsporting behavior); 32’ 2T – Juan Brunetta (Holding an opponent to prevent advance); 5’ A1 – Fernando Gorriarán (Holding an opponent to prevent advance).