Sporting Kansas City make history with Toluca domination

Maybe playing in Mexico is becoming less daunting for Major League Soccer squads.

Sporting Kansas City made short work of Liga MX side Toluca Thursday night, winning 2-0 in the second leg of a Concacaf Champions League Round of 16 tie at Estadio Nemesio Diez. Sporting advanced to the quarterfinals after winning the series 5-0 on aggregate.

Sporting became the fifth MLS team to win a CCL game in Mexico and the third in the last two years to emerge victorious in the knockout round.

A year ago, the New York Red Bulls survived an onslaught to defeat Xolos, 2-0, in Tijuana in the opening leg of the quarterfinals. It was the first multi-goal win by an MLS team in Mexico — until Thursday night.

Toronto FC then won 2-1 after 90 minutes in Guadalajara, a result that forced penalty kicks to decide last year’s final. Chivas lifted the hardware after a 4-2 edge in the shootout.

These are the other two MLS wins in Mexico:

• FC Dallas 1, Pumas UNAM 0 (goal by Marvin Chavez), Group C, Estadio Olímpico Universitario, Mexico City, Aug. 17, 2011
• Seattle Sounders 1, Monterrey 0 (goal by Alvaro Fernandez), Group D, Estadio Tecnológico, Monterrey, Aug. 16, 2011

SKC’s two-legged dominance over reeling Toluca made more history.

.@SportingKC’s 5-0 aggregate win over Toluca is the largest ever by an @MLS team over a Liga MX team in a two-legged CONCACAF Cup series. #CincoACero

— Paul Carr (@PaulCarr) March 1, 2019

Liga MX squads still have a distinct advantage, winning 41 of the 55 all-time competitive meetings.  But MLS sides are 3-3-1 in the last seven CCL knockout round games.

Sporting KC win at Toluca brings MLS record to

5-41-9 at Mexican teams in competition
7-32 in 2-leg series
3-22 in series when 2nd leg is in Mexico

Atlanta, Houston, Red Bulls are next up in #CCLFever quarterfinals!

— Jonathan Yardley (@jtyardley) March 1, 2019

There are three more MLS-Liga MX showdowns set for the quarterfinals, with the Red Bulls meeting Santos Laguna, Houston Dynamo taking on Tigres and Atlanta United tangling with Monterrey.