Toluca FC scored in second half stoppage time to tie 2-2 with the Houston Dynamo, advancing 5-4 on penalties, in the Leagues Cup Round of 32 to cap off a hot and humid encounter on Friday at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas.
The two sides praised each other as the toughest test each one has had in the tournament to date and took each other to the limit from the get go.
The Diablos Rojos sent a warning shot in the 20th minute as Paulinho struck a header off the right post, only to be called offside but the early punches began between both teams.
The Dynamo struck for goal in the 30th minute as an Héctor Herrera free kick tested Toluca goalkeeper Tiago Volpi.
Jesús “Canelo” Ángulo opened the scoring in the 39th minute with a shot that deflected off the back foot of Griffin Dorsey to lob into the right post and into the net. Alexis Vega started the play by stripping the ball from Micael before Maxi Araujo provided the footwork inside the box to set up the assist.
Ezequiel Ponce tied for the Dynamo in the 41st minute, cheating a lob from Amine Bassi down to his right foot, juggling the ball inside his box and finishing with his left foot.
Micael struck inside the box in the 62nd minute to give the Dynamo the lead off a corner kick. Franco Escobar delivered the final pass to connect Herrera’s corner, redirected by Erik Sviatchenko.
Lawrence Ennali nearly struck the third for the home side in the 66th minute as his chance was just above the crossbar.
Iván “'Gacelo” López tied the match in the sixth minute of stoppage time as the Liga MX side made use of a last chance from a corner kick. Brian García’s service made its way to the back post via Jesús Gallardo as the Diablos Rojos sent the match to a penalty shootout.
Volpi struck the first Toluca goal to offset Dorsey’s opener. Ennali was blocked by Volpi in the fourth round before López, the author of the tying goal, would seal the victory.
Toluca remains unbeaten in the Leagues Cup as the club moves on to the Round of 16 for the second year in a row. The Dynamo exit the tournament on penalties in the Round of 32.
