ไทย
English
中國人
A freshly renovated venue and a new chapter for MLS clubs at the Estadio Azteca. That was the atmosphere on Tuesday evening, as Nashville SC etched their name in history as the first MLS side to claim a victory at the iconic Mexican ground, which recently reopened following its 2026 World Cup upgrades.
Hany Mukhtar netted the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Liga MX powerhouse Club América, propelling the 2025 U.S. Open Cup champions into the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals after a goalless first-leg stalemate in Nashville.
Despite just one goal across the two legs, the tie was far from short on excitement. Both sides created opportunities throughout, and Tuesday's second leg saw América bombard Nashville with 18 attempts on goal, compared to just eight from the Tennessee outfit.
Yet it was only Mukhtar who could convert, adding another defining moment to his storied career with the Coyotes. His pivotal strike also came without the team's most dangerous forward, as MLS Golden Boot frontrunner Sam Surridge was absent from the trip to Mexico City due to a muscular complaint.
Beyond the goal itself, Nashville remained resolute at the back and relied heavily on a remarkable nine-save display from Brian Schwake, securing their place in the continental tournament's final four for the first time in the club's history.
"It's not easy to play here, Club América is a massive club with a lot of quality players," Mukhtar said following the final whistle. "We showed character... we know about this stadium, it's historic and it's beautiful, it's a privilege to play here, and that's what I told the guys... we earned it."
Mukhtar finds the net for Nashville! 💥 pic.twitter.com/7W9WtARQR4
Having already ushered in a new era for Tennessee sports in 2025 — with the U.S. Open Cup representing the first title claimed by a professional team in the state — the victory over América at the Azteca opens the door to even greater ambitions for Nashville. Through both achievements, it also cements B.J. Callaghan as a legendary figure in just his second season at the helm, having guided the club to its first trophy and now Tuesday's remarkable result.
The road to the semifinals has been anything but straightforward for the Coyotes. Not only did they overcome América, but they also ended Inter Miami's continental aspirations on a 1–1 aggregate with advancement via away goals, after dismantling Canadian Premier League champions Atlético Ottawa 7–0 over two legs.
With a quarterfinal berth secured, the club now turns its attention to a two-legged semifinal against either Liga MX heavyweights Tigres UANL or MLS rivals Seattle Sounders, the last American side to lift the trophy, doing so in 2022.
LAFC Oust Defending Concacaf Champions
Nashville's historic triumph wasn't the only MLS success story on Tuesday, as LAFC knocked out 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup holders Cruz Azul with a 1–1 draw in the second leg in Mexico, building on a commanding 3–0 home victory at BMO Stadium in the first match.
Denis Bouanga converted a penalty in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time to secure the result, as Marc Dos Santos's side held firm despite conceding 31 shots from the Mexican giants, with 2018 World Cup winner Hugo Lloris called into action for eight saves.
Hugo Lloris' 8th save of the night ‼️ pic.twitter.com/oztT5heLxx
Though the second leg ended in a draw rather than a win, it continued LAFC's impressive start to the campaign, having now dispatched Real España, Alajuelense, and Cruz Azul from the Champions Cup — all within Dos Santos's opening months in charge. It also restores the club to continental relevance as they chase a Concacaf title, having twice fallen at the final hurdle, most recently against Club Léon in 2023.
With their place in the next round confirmed, they will now face either Deportivo Toluca, Liga MX's standout side over the past year, or El Tráfico rivals LA Galaxy, in a two-legged semifinal for a shot at the single-leg final scheduled for late May.
Champions Cup No Longer Hinders MLS Play
For both Nashville SC and LAFC, participation in the Concacaf Champions Cup has not come at the expense of their domestic form, bucking a long-standing trend.
On Nashville's part, Callaghan has rotated his squad extensively across both the Inter Miami round of 16 and the quarterfinal stages, yet has not suffered in league play as a result. His side defeated Columbus Crew 1–0 between the Miami leg and Charlotte FC during the recent América series.
Those six points from two rotated lineups — which did not include the trio of Mukhtar, Surridge, and Cristian Espinoza — have Nashville sitting on 16 points from seven league outings, topping the Eastern Conference while simultaneously advancing to the Champions Cup semifinals.
While LAFC cannot make quite the same claim about rotated selections, having fallen 2–1 to the Portland Timbers over the weekend, their overall performances have been impressive. Earlier in the season, Dos Santos fielded full-strength sides across both competitions, guiding his team to the longest season-opening clean sheet run in MLS history alongside a dominant Champions Cup campaign.
Broadly speaking, the narrative is shifting for MLS clubs in continental play. They no longer need to sacrifice league form for Concacaf success; instead, they can draw on greater squad depth while keeping their sights firmly set on Champions Cup glory.
Only three MLS clubs have ever lifted the Champions Cup — the Sounders in 2022, the Galaxy in 2000, and D.C. United in 1998. Meanwhile, only the 2025 Vancouver Whitecaps have reached the final in the Concacaf competition, MLS Cup, and their domestic cup in the same season.