WATCH: Sporting KC Eases Into CCL Quarterfinals With Second Win Over Toluca
After pretty much securing its passage to the next round in the Concacaf Champions League with a first-leg 3-0 win against Toluca, Sporting KC erased any doubt in the second leg, with Gerso and Krisztian Nemeth scoring in a 2-0 win that booked its spot in the quarterfinals.
Gerso's goal was a beauty, as the winger used a great touch to take down a long ball in the box before going around a Toluca defender and nutmegging the goalkeeper for the first goal of the game in the eighth minute.
Nemeth ended all hopes of an improbable comeback when he ran in on goal in the 61st minute, only to be appearing to be pulled down by Adrian Mora in the box. Mora was shown a straight red card and Nemeth put away the corresponding penalty to put Toluca away for good.
Things got so bad for Toluca, that fans at the struggling Mexico club's home stadium brought out the "Ole!" cheers when Sporting KC was in possession.
The match nearly took a different tone early, as Toluca almost opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a powerful header that struck the underside of the crossbar, but the ball bounced outside of the goal and a Kansas City defender was able to get it away.
The 5-0 aggregate triumph marks the sixth all-time for an MLS side over a Liga MX one in a two-legged CCL series, and it is the largest margin of victory by an MLS team over a Liga MX team in that format as well. It also marked the first MLS success vs. a Liga MX side when the second leg was hosted in Mexico.
Sporting KC will face Panama's Independiente—which knocked Toronto FC out of the CCL with a comprehensive 5-1 aggregate victory—in the first leg of the quarterfinals on March 6
