Juárez earned two valuable points by defeating Cincinnati on penalties (4-3), climbing to second place among Liga MX teams and moving closer to qualification for the next round.
The Liga MX side opened the scoring through Ricardinho, who netted his first goal with the team by heading in a cross superbly to beat the Cincinnati goalkeeper, who was rushing off his line, making it 1-0.
Ricardinho’s celebration was a tribute to his countryman Diogo Jota, who tragically passed away in a traffic accident exactly one month ago at the age of 28.
In the 63rd minute, Juárez extended their lead with a goal from Brazilian Guilherme Castilho, who capitalized on the home team’s inability to clear the ball from their own penalty area. When the Brazilian received the ball at his feet, he blasted it into the net with a powerful strike to make it 2-0.
However, Cincinnati only needed 10 minutes to draw level. In the 71st minute, Evander unleashed a powerful shot from outside the penalty area, scoring one of the best goals of the day to cut the deficit to 2-1.
The equalizer came in the 77th minute via an unfortunate own goal. Following a corner kick taken by Evander, Colombian Óscar Estupiñán, who had dropped back to defend, headed the ball into his own net to tie the game at 2-2.
With the points split after 90 minutes, the match went to a penalty shootout, where the Liga MX side secured the extra point thanks to successful spot kicks from Estupiñán, Villalpando, Pizarro, and García.
For the MLS side, only three players—Engel, Orellano, and Bucha—converted their penalties, resulting in a 4-3 shootout win for Juárez.
REACTIONS:
- FC Juárez Head Coach Martín Varani
- "I'm proud of the dedication and heart this team showed—not just from the starters, but from everyone who stepped onto the pitch. Now we have another great opportunity when we face the Red Bulls. I'm very pleased with how the team competed."
PLAYERS OF THE MATCH
- FC Juárez:
- Guilherme Castilho was a constant threat and was named Man Of The Match with a goal and an assist.
- Cincinnati FC:
- Evander was quiet for about 70 minutes and then erupted with a fantastic strike from outside the box for his 2nd goal in as many games.
GAME NOTES
- Juárez is in a good position to advance to Knockout Stage, they are in second place in the Liga MX table with 5 points.
- Three other clubs have the same amount of points, but their goal differential of +3 has them sitting pretty.
- Juárez now has back-to-back wins after a streak of 8 winless matches.
- Cincinnati star Evander now haw four goal participations in the tournament (2 goals and 2 assists), tied with Ángel Correa for most in Leagues Cup 2025.
- Cincinnati losses for just the second time in their last 10 games.
CARDS/INJURY REPORT:
- Yellow Cards
- FC Juárez: Roberto Pizarro, Jairo Torres, Guilherme Castilho
- Cincinnati: Matt Miazga, Gilberto Flores
LOOKING AHEAD:
- Cincinnati now sits with four points after two matches and will need all three points of their next match against Guadalajara.
- Juárez sits in a good position to advance but must still earn points from their next matchup against the New York Red Bulls.
