Nashville SC are set to face Liga MX powerhouse Club América in the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals after advancing past Inter Miami on away goals in the Round of 16.
Ben Wright
Club América took down Philadelphia Union in their match, winning 2-1 on aggregate to book their spot in the next round.
The two sides will meet in a rematch of their wild 2023 Leagues Cup match, which Nashville won on penalties after a lengthy video review delay. Club América thought they had won when goalkeeper Luis Malagón saved the match-winning penalty kick from Jack Maher. América celebrated the win and fans stormed the pitch before the refereeing crew determined that Malagón had come off his line early.
This. Is. Chaos. pic.twitter.com/VB4pSXLnMR
— Ben Wright (@benwright) August 9, 2023
Maher converted the re-take, Elliot Panicco made a save, and Dan Lovitz put his penalty away to give Nashville an unforgettable win, made even wilder by the 18 Club América fans detained for invading the pitch, with a Geodis Park security staffer even tearing his ACL on the pitch while chasing a fan down.
Nashville got absolutely bombarded coming off the field. Gary Smith took his time celebrating on the way out. This is unreal. #EveryoneN pic.twitter.com/mPQQulKOrn
— Ben Wright (@benwright) August 9, 2023
Club América are the most decorated side in Mexican football, with 16 Liga MX titles and seven Concacaf Champions League trophies. Playing in the famed Azteca Stadium, they're a juggernaut.
As the higher-ranked team in the Concacaf Club Rankings, they'll host the second leg of the series. The first leg will take place at Geodis Park between April 7-9, with the return match in Mexico City on April 14-16.
