Tigres beat Club America on penalties to win Liga MX title

Tigres earned Mexico’s league title for a fifth time by defeating Club America 3-0 on penalties, as the Liga MX Final finished 2-2 on aggregate after a wild extra-time on Sunday.

Tigres controlled much of the first 90 minutes, with the Universitarios twice striking the woodwork, but America’s Oribe Peralta coming closest with an incredible miss from point-blank range.

The play was physical from the start, with referee Jorge Isaac Rojas not shy of keeping the cards in his pocket. In the closing stages of the second half of regulation, Jorge Torres Nilo was issued a red card for a second yellow card offense, leaving Tigres to play with ten men in extra time.

Club America earned more possession of the ball after the sending off, and in the 95th minute, substitute Edson Alvarez headed home a Pablo Aguilar headed pass to give Las Aguilas the lead.

Rubens Sambueza, largely anonymous through both legs, was then sent off in the 102nd minute for Club America.

As the game entered the final minutes of the first half of extra time, a brawl broke out, taking both teams to nine men each.

The situation did not demoralize Tigres, who continued to send crosses into the box in search of the equalizer.

With just a minute remaining in extra time, Jesus Duenas rose unmarked inside the box to head in a Jurgen Damm cross and send the game into penalties.

With Tigres shooting first, Andre-Pierre Gignac was on target first before William da Silva was denied by Nahuel Guzman.

Guzman would ultimately be the hero, saving penalties from Silvio Romero and Javier Guemez, as Tigres were crowned Liga MX champions.

Manager Ricardo “Tuca” Ferretti, who was coaching is career 1000th game, has won won five Liga MX titles.