Having only arrived at the club a few weeks ago, Spanish attacking midfielder Sergio Canales has wasted no time in endearing himself to CF Monterrey supporters during this summer’s Leagues Cup 2023.
The former Real Betis man has found the net in both of his starts for Rayados so far, dispatching two crucial penalties to help his team through to the tournament’s semi-finals.
In his second match, Canales was thrown into the starting eleven to face CF Monterrey’s arch rivals Club Tigres for a spot in the quarter-finals. A daunting stage for a debut, but the 32-year-old stepped up to the occasion by scoring a dramatic late penalty winner to win the Clásico Regio, and write his name into Rayados folklore after just one game.
Friday night’s match-up against 2022 MLS Cup champions Los Angeles FC, who had scored 11 goals in their two previous Leagues Cup games, was a different proposition. The Western Conference side raced to a 2-0 lead by half-time, and LIGA MX’s last representative in the tournament looked down and out.
With twenty minutes to go, though, the Spanish international pulled one back for head coach Fernando Ortiz’s men, as he sent his spot-kick into the bottom right corner.
The goal would spark a dramatic comeback. The Nuevo León outfit then equalized ten minutes from time through a Sergi Palencia own goal, before a late winner came from none other than the club’s all-time top scorer in Rogelio Funes Mori.
Rayados and LIGA MX live to see another day at this summer’s Leagues Cup, and will face Nashville SC at Geodis Park in the semi-finals. The team will be hoping to see Canales continue his efficiency from the spot, as they eye a spot in next Saturday’s final. For the Spaniard, it’s a chance to get his time in North America off to an ideal start.
