MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP) — Juan Dineno scored two goals before half as Pumas UNAM beat Cruz Azul 2-1 in the opening leg of their CONCACAF Champions League semi-final on Tuesday night.
The two teams will face each other for the second leg at the Azteca Stadium next Tuesday. The winner faces the winner of the two-legged semi-final between NYCFC and the Seattle Sounders, which opens in Seattle on Wednesday.
Dineno scored in a scramble in front of the net in the 37th minute, then added a header in first-half stoppage time for home visitors at the Estadio Olimpico Universitario.
Christian Tabo for Cruz Azul closed the gap in the 83rd minute with a cross from Ivan Morales.
The Pumas drew 3–3 on aggregate in a 3–0 loss against the New England Revolution and advanced to the semifinals on a penalty shootout. Cruz Azul defeated CF Montreal to advance to the quarterfinals.
Cruz Azul won the Champions League title in 2014, and was runner-up in 2009 and 2010. The winner of the Champions League qualifies for the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup.