Federico Vinas scored twice as the Club América easily handled the Portland Timbers in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions League quarter-final tie at the historic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, emerging with a 4-2 aggregate victory.
The Liga MX side will square off in the semi-finals with the Philadelphia Union, who capped a 4-1 aggregate victory over Atlanta United on Tuesday. The two-leg semi-finals will be contested in mid-August and mid-September.
In the 21st minute, Mauro Lainez sent a high cross into the six-yard box, and Vinas rose between two defenders to head home the ball.
Vinas doubled the advantage from the penalty spot in the 59th minute, rolling his left-footed shot in the bottom left corner.
Portland cut into the deficit when Diego Valeri powered a penalty kick into the top left corner in the 64th minute, but América scored again to seal the series in the 70th minute. Leo Suarez dribbled around two defenders at the top of the Timbers’ penalty area before knocking in a 22-yard, left-footed strike.
Club América have won the Champions League twice in the last decade.
Monterrey 3-0 Columbus Crew (5-2 on agg)
Two first-half goals from Maximiliano Meza sparked Monterrey to a 3-0 win over the Columbus Crew on Wednesday in Guadalupe, and a 5-2 aggregate victory in their quarter-final tie.
Monterrey advance to a semi-final matchup against another Mexican club, Cruz Azul, which completed a 4-1 aggregate victory over Toronto FC on Tuesday.
In the fourth minute Wednesday, Monterrey’s Vincent Janssen sent a low cross into the six-yard box, and Crew goalie Eloy Room dived and pushed the ball in front. An unmarked Meza tapped the ball into the open right side of the net.
The same pair connected in the 26th minute. Janssen won an aerial duel and controlled the ball to enter the penalty area in a two-on-one with Meza. He rolled the ball to Meza, who blasted in a low shot from 14 yards out.
Miguel Layun sealed Monterrey’s win in the 71st minute, firing in a 25-yard free kick from dead center into the top right corner.