Pumas, the last Mexican team to lose a Concachampions final to a foreigner

The UNAM Pumas were placed in the final of the Concacaf Champions League after beating Cruz Azul in the semifinals. The university students qualified by having won by global score of two goals to one (the scores of the series were in the first leg, on the second leg they were tied to zero). In this way, the team will play for the championship again after 17 years since the last time it did so. In 2006 he was also a finalist and they lost.

About two decades later, the auriazules will have the opportunity to redeem themselves after falling to Costa Rica's Saprissa the last time they played the series for the title. In addition to individual responsibilities and goals at the institutional level, they will bear the responsibility of maintaining the hegemony of Liga MX in the international tournament, because since they just lost, there have been only Mexican champions.

17 years ago Central American football experienced its last great feat at the club level. The S team won their third trophy in the region by beating the UNAM Pumas with an overall score of three goals to two and with the crowning on the pitch of the University Olympic Stadium in Mexico City.

Even with the name of the Champions Cup and with a short format in which only eight clubs participated, the auriazules together with the Rayados de Monterrey were the Mexican representatives. The regals stayed in the semifinals when they lost in a penalty shootout just to Saprissa. Pumas did so after leaving Olimpia in Honduras and D.C. United States on the road.

The finals were dated May 4 and 11, respectively. In the first leg, the Monster managed to prevail before his audience by two scores to zero. The goalscorers with whom they took the lead that night were Christian Bolaños and Gabriel Badilla.

For the return match, the university students had the slogan of winning by a difference of two goals to force at least the lengthening. However, the task was not achieved because, despite winning two to one, Saprissa won the title. The game began with a goal of the visit on the feet of Ronald Gomez. Joaquín del Olmo and Leandro Augusto scored for the locals.

In this way, Pumas lost the opportunity to attend the 2005 Club World Cup held in Japan, while the Ticos won the Concacaf trophy for the third time. The Mexican team's lineup at that time was composed of Sergio Bernal, Fernando Espinosa, Darío Verón, Israel Castro, Gonzalo Pineda, Jaime Lozano, Ailton Da Silva, Leandro Augusto, David Toledo, Joaquín Botero and Diego Alonso.

Andrés Lillini's team will be looking for their fourth title in history. The rival is yet to be defined, but it is certain that it will be a Major League Soccer club in the United States: the other semifinal series is starred by New York City and Seattle Sounders. With the second leg still to be played (Wednesday, April 13 at 20:00, Central Mexico time), the advantage for the moment goes to the Washington team who emerged victorious in the first leg by score of three points to one.

The final matches will take place on 24 April and 3 May, with the schedules still to be defined. The round trip order is already defined as both American clubs performed better during the final stage (criteria for determining who opens and closes the series), so no matter which team passes, the first match will be at the University Olympic Stadium and the defining match will be in the American Union.

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