MEXICO CITY — Uriel Antuna scored the game's lone goal to give Cruz Azul a 1-0 win over CF Montreal in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal.
Antuna scored in the 20th minute for the Mexican side that dominated play over the course of the match.
Montreal didn't record a single shot on net, had possession for just 47 per cent of the time and sported a pass accuracy of only 81 per cent.
Despite the bad overall offensive numbers, Montreal did have chances with six corner kicks. They failed to produce even so much as a chance from those set-play opportunities, however.
Montreal was shakier defensively in the first half, but shored things up in the second.
"If in the second half the opponent missed their chances, it is because we did a good job of defending until the very last moment because we made it difficult for them to finish," Montreal head coach Wilfried Nancy. "So we have to put things in context. In the second half, we were in control."
This first leg was held at the famous Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The next leg, scheduled for March 16, will be hosted at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.
Cruz Azul will carry a 1-0 lead on aggregate heading into next week's final leg.
"At the end of the day all that matters is what is on the scoreboard," said Montreal defender Joel Waterman. "I thought we played some good football in the second half. I’ll take a one-nil deficit in one of the hardest places to play to go back home with."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 9, 2022.
The Canadian Press
