ORLANDO – André-Pierre Gignac stayed home for the second leg of Tigres’ CONCACAF Champions League round of 16 tie with Orlando City. His substitute, on the other hand, netted the vital goal for the Liga MX side to progress.
Sebastián Córdova controlled a cross with his chest and fired a 21st minute strike past the seemingly impenetrable Pedro Gallese as Tigres advanced via away-goals tiebreaker with a 1-1 draw at Exploria Stadium.
Tigres will face either Honduran side Motagua or Liga MX’s Pachuca, who after a scoreless first leg will settle their clash Thursday in Mexico.
Attacking woes continue to plague Orlando, which made its first CCL appearance in club history. The Lions have scored just three goals in five matches across all competitions this season.
Gallese, however, once again kept Orlando in contention. He made three crucial saves in the opening 15 minutes, including one to deny Nicolás Ibáñez on a header from point-blank range. Across the two legs, the Peruvian international stopped 15 Tigres shots.
“Obviously, he represents a lot of security for us, especially in the second half as we pushed. The lines were higher, and we left spaces in behind,” Orlando manager Oscar Pareja said. “It’s very, very good to see him in good form.”
Gignac, the 37-year-old Frenchman who has five goals and two assists in eight Liga MX Clausura matches, was unavailable due to his unvaccinated status. Current U.S. government rules state all air travelers who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 before entering the country.
Orlando very nearly struck against the run of play shortly after that stop on Ibáñez, building up an attack down the left flank. Iván Angulo took a delicate touch in the box, but his curling shot drifted just wide of the far post.
Tigres cashed in its very next opportunity as Córdova evaded Luca Petrasso with the ball in the air. Córdova took it down with his chest and lashed it past the diving Gallese.
Sebastián Córdova finds the opener for @TigresOficial in the 21st minute 🔥 pic.twitter.com/rRqXIiWJ3v
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 16, 2023
Córdova was one of two players inserted into Marco Antonio Ruiz’s starting 11, along with midfielder and captain Guido Pizarro replacing Juan Pablo Vigón.
Orlando nearly staged a miraculous comeback in the final minutes. Ercan Kara equalized on a 90th minute bicycle kick from a corner. Tigres defender Samir was then sent off for a second yellow in the 95th minute, while Orlando rookie Duncan McGuire blazed one last chance over the bar at the final whistle.
THEY'VE GOT ONE, THEY NEED ONE MORE! 😤
GET ON YOUR BIKE, KARA 🚲 pic.twitter.com/Iuf8ttPVGa
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 16, 2023
“We gave it our all and played to the end,” McGuire said. “From now on, in the games that we play, we have to play the way we finished that game.
“It’s definitely tough to lose a game like that, definitely thought that there maybe should have been more [stoppage] time. … We’ll keep our heads high and move on to the next one.”
Pareja was shown a red card following the match’s conclusion. In the post-game press conference, he argued that Orlando should have been given more stoppage time due to Tigres’ numerous delay tactics.
“Between the 89th and 96th minutes, there were four minutes and 50 seconds that they did not play. They did not allow us to play the game,” Pareja said. “We saw it in the World Cup, guys. If you give five minutes, and they are wasting time, you need to add more time.
“We are respectful, but we are not stupid. We are competing, and they need to realize that.”
Asked about the late stages of the match, Tigres boss Ruiz said, “It’s things that happen in soccer. Logically, a team doesn’t advance, and they get bothered. I don’t know what exactly happened or what the motive was, but people know those things happen in soccer and it’s the passion of the players.”
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