2nd-half rally lifts Cavalry FC past Mexico’s Pumas UNAM in CONCACAF cup play

Tobias Warschewski scored a highlight-reel extremity successful the 80th infinitesimal to springiness Cavalry FC a memorable 2-1 comeback triumph implicit Mexico’s Pumas UNAM successful the opening limb of their CONCACAF Champions Cup first-round bid Thursday.

The triumph came successful Cavalry’s archetypal competitory crippled since winning the Canadian Premier League title Nov. 9.

The deciding play started erstwhile Ali Musse recovered Jay Herdman successful the Pumas punishment box. Herdman headed it implicit to Warschewski, who deftly flicked it from 1 ft to different to evade a defender earlier poking the shot past goalkeeper Alex Padilla.

The extremity by Warschewski, who led the CPL successful scoring past play with 14 goals, survived a lengthy video reappraisal for offside earlier it was confirmed by Guatemalan referee Mario Escobar.

Warschewski said the squad had to constitute itself aft falling behind.

“When you concede conscionable earlier halftime a extremity similar that, I deliberation everybody was a small spot caput down into the locker-room,” said Warschewski. “But we showed quality successful the 2nd fractional and I deliberation we deserved the triumph today.”

Asked astir the winning goal, the German guardant said helium wasn’t definite what happened connected the play.

“Sometimes I conscionable achromatic out, I don’t know. I conscionable touched it, finished it. I don’t cognize however truly to explicate it.”

Charlie Trafford’s 57th-minute extremity had cancelled retired a 44th-minute onslaught by Pumas’ Canadian-Mexican teen Santiago Lopez.

It was a nighttime of firsts, with Calgary’s Cavalry signaling the CPL’s first-ever triumph implicit an elite Mexican side.

Trafford’s extremity was a archetypal for Cavalry against Liga MX opposition. And the 19-year-old Lopez opened his scoring relationship for the Pumas archetypal squad precocious successful the archetypal half.

But the bid is not over.

The instrumentality limb is Feb. 13 astatine Mexico City’s Estadio Olímpico Universitario with the bid victor moving connected to look Costa Rica’s Liga Deportiva Alajuelense successful the circular of 16 of CONCACAF’s elite nine competition.

A dual citizen, Lopez was a prima for Canada astatine the CONCACAF U-20 Championship successful July 2024 and played for the Mexican under-18 squad successful 2 tournaments successful 2023. He has yet to state is planetary allegiance.

Lopez was calved successful Morelia, Mexico, and was 4 erstwhile his parents — his precocious begetter was an economist who worked successful banking — moved to Ontario for enactment earlier returning to Mexico six years later.

Lopez joined the younker academy of Pumas UNAM successful 2019 erstwhile helium had conscionable turned 14. He was the apical scorer for the club’s under-18 broadside successful 2023 with 10 goals.

He made his elder debut for Pumas UNAM disconnected the seat successful January 2024 successful a 3-1 triumph implicit Pachuca successful Mexico’s Liga MX play. Given the commencement Thursday, helium took afloat advantage.

While Pumas had much of the shot and territory, the Cavalry defence initially held steadfast and looked to counterattack with Herdman — and begetter John Herdman watching from the stands — starring the mode down the near flank.

But Pumas went up successful the 44th infinitesimal when, aft the Cavalry midfield was recovered wanting, goalkeeper Marco Carducci was incapable to coral Peru planetary midfielder Piero Quispe’s debased shot. The rebound went consecutive to Lopez who roofed a left-footed shot.

Trafford tied it up successful the 57th minute, slashing done a static Pumas defence to acrobatically sound location an Ali Musse corner.

Lopez was replaced successful the 73rd minute.

Thursday’s crippled was shifted to Starlight Stadium connected Vancouver Island to flight wintry conditions successful Alberta for the 2nd twelvemonth successful a row.

That was lone partially successful.

There were immoderate 8 to 10 centimetres of snowfall connected the crushed Wednesday. While the lone snowbank was extracurricular the pitch, it didn’t halt immoderate players slipping connected the artificial turf. Temperature astatine kickoff was astir zero.

Pumas defender Ricardo Galindo turned up the vigor successful the archetypal minute, scything down Warschewski successful a nasty tackle that earned a yellowish card.

Pumas had 61 per cent of the possession successful the archetypal fractional and outshot Cavalry 4-2 (2-1 successful shots connected target).

While Pumas had 63 per cent possession connected the night, Cavalry had a 7-5 borderline successful shots (3-2 successful shots connected target) and 7 corners to the Mexicans’ two. There were six cautions issued, with 5 shown to Cavalry.

In its archetypal travel to CONCACAF’s elite nine competition, Cavalry mislaid to Major League Soccer’s Orlando City past twelvemonth (beaten 3-0 successful the archetypal limb successful Langford earlier falling 3-1 successful Florida).

Pumas person won the Champions Cup 3 times (1980, ’82 and ’89) and finished runner-up doubly (2005 and ’22). The Mexican broadside made it to the quarterfinals past twelvemonth earlier losing a punishment shootout to the eventual runner-up Columbus Crew.

Pumas presently beryllium seventh successful the Liga MX Clausura astatine 2-1-2 aft finishing 4th successful the Apertura astatine 9-4-4.

Cavalry finished atop the CPL regular-season standings successful some 2019 and 2023 and made the title crippled 3 times, yet winning successful November erstwhile it downed Forge 2-1.

That rubric earned Cavalry a spot backmost successful the Champions Cup. Pumas earned its berth arsenic the third-best nine successful the 2023-2024 Liga MX aggregate table.

Forge FC mislaid 2-0 to Mexico’s CF Monterrey successful Hamilton connected Wednesday. The victor of that bid volition look either the Vancouver Whitecaps oregon Costa Rica’s Deportivo Saprissa successful the circular of 16.

The 2025 champion earns a berth successful the 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.