The 2022 Liga MX has Apertura come to an end and, with it, we enter the countdown to the 2023 Leagues Cup, where the Mexican teams and those of the MLS will write a new chapter in the rivalry between the two leagues.
With Pachuca as champion of Mexican soccer by defeating Toluca, we recap what happened in this tournament.
Preliminary round:
- Tigers vs. Necaxa: As the top seed in the playoffs, Tigres had no problem and beat Necaxa 2-0 to eliminate them.
- Toluca vs. FC Juárez: the eventual finalists were more than convincing to get their place in the quarterfinals by beating Los Bravos 3-0.
- Cruz Azul vs. León: In a classic matchup of Mexican football, La Maquina did enough to enter the Liguilla proper, narrowly defeating León.
- Puebla vs. Chivas: In an exciting match, La Franja knocked out the Guadalajara side in a tie that went to penalties.
Quarterfinals:
- America vs. Puebla: Despite having eliminated Chivas, La Franja were outscored 11-2 on aggregate, in two games in which Las Águilas demonstrated their power.
- Monterrey vs. Cruz Azul: After a goalless first leg, with La Maquina having the better chances, Los Rayados put their foot on the accelerator to the full to beat Los Cementeros 3-0 in the second leg.
- Sanots vs. Toluca: Los Diablos took advantage of the good form with which they closed the tournament and, although they had the bottom place in the table, they managed to win both games by an aggregate score of 4-6.
- Pachuca vs. Tigres: After Miguel Herrera's team had the slightest advantage in the first leg, Guillermo Almada's team did what was necessary to qualify for the semifinals by winning by an aggregate score of 2-2. As Tuzos had a better finishing position in the table, they were the ones that passed to the next round.
Semifinals:
- America vs. Toluca: After the scoring power they showed, Los Diablos caused one of the biggest upsets of the entire tournament by eliminating América 3-2 on aggregate. However, the Azulcremas were very close to moving on, after a goal by Henry Martín was flagged off for offside.
- Monterey vs. Pachuca: Los Tuzos left no doubt. In the first leg, Guillermo Almada's side won 5-2; the return match was a mere formality. Avilés Hurtado scored a penalty to make the aggregate score 6-2.
Final:
- Pachuca vs. Toluca: The two-legged final arrived and, with it, a new display of superiority and goalscoring by Los Tuzos. From the first minutes they did not let Pachuca do anything, taking a 5-1 victory. Leo Fernandez had a chance to score in the last minute from the spot to bring his team closer to their opponents in the second leg, but Óscar Ustari saved his penalty. The second leg was a mere formality and Pachuca won the title by an aggregate score of 6-2.
