Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte made a pair of massive saves in the decisive shootout, atoning for an early error that led to Tigres’ opening goal. Diego Rossi also scored a massive 59th-minute equalizer for Wilfried Nancy’s side, who will now take on the winner of the ongoing series between Inter Miami CF and Liga MX side CF Monterrey for a spot in the tournament final on June 2.
With the series tied at 1-1 after Leg 1 at Lower.com Field, the match got off to a disastrous start for the Crew, as Tigres snatched the aggregate lead in just the third minute. It was a defensive error that led to the concession, as Schulte was dispossessed by André-Pierre Gignac following a back-pass right in front of goal, allowing for a tap-in finish by the star Tigres striker.
The Crew weathered the storm, however, then struck back just short of the hour mark with a shock equalizer. Cucho Hernández spearheaded the sequence with a bounding run down the left side before laying off the cross that reached Rossi, who converted a vicious far-post finish to silence the Estadio Universitario crowd.
After a scoreless extra time, the Crew prevailed in the penalty-kick shootout with Schulte playing the hero role. The 23-year-old backstop saved each of Tigres’ first two shots from the spot, including an epic sprawling denial of one of the region’s most prolific strikers in Gignac, before Max Arfsten scored the semifinal-clinching PK goal.
First appeared on www.mlssoccer.com