Pachuca lifts CONCACAF Champions League trophy

Franco Jara scored the lone goal as CF Pachuca were crowned CONCACAF Champions League winners with a 1-0 shutout of Tigres in an all-Mexico battle Wednesday night.

Jara scored in the 83rd minute of the second leg at the Estadio Hidalgo stadium as Pachuca clinched the title 2-1 on aggregate.

The scoring play started with a long shot that Tigres goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman mishandled, allowing Jara to pounce on the ball from in close.

Pachuca now advances to the FIFA Club World Cup to be held in the United Arab Emirates in December.

Goalkeeper Alfonso Blanco stopped every shot he faced for Pachuca, who played with a one man advantage from the 78th minute following a red card to Tigres player Guido Pizarro.

Tigres had a potential equalizer called back in stoppage time because striker Andre-Pierre Gignac was ruled offside.

Mexican teams have been near-invincible in the CONCACAF region's premier club competition over the past decade, winning every title since 2006.

This year's finale is the ninth all-Mexican affair in the past 12 competitions.

source: AFP