Rayados emerged victorious at the TQL Stadium in Cincinnati during the First Round of the Round of 16 of the Concachampions, defeating their opponents 1-0. The match saw an early expulsion of Rodrigo Aguirre and standout saves from Esteban Andrada.
The first half was marked by exciting opportunities from both teams, including a disallowed goal by Corey Baird for offside. Brandon Vázquez proved to be a threatening presence on the field for Monterrey.
Unfortunately, Monterrey faced a setback as Héctor Moreno was forced to exit the match in the 9th minute due to discomfort, with Sebastián Vegas taking his place.
Esteban Andrada showcased his goalkeeping prowess with a crucial save in the 14th minute, denying a scoring opportunity for Cincinnati. Monterrey scored the lone goal of the match in the 24th minute, with Brandon Vázquez finding the back of the net after a pass from Maximiliano Meza.
Despite a missed chance by Aaron Boupendza in the 55th minute, Monterrey held onto their lead. The match took a turn in the 68th minute when Rodrigo Aguirre was shown a red card following a VAR review for a foul on Corey Baird.
Andrada once again came to Monterrey’s rescue in the 78th minute, making a crucial save to deny Cincinnati an equalizer. The return leg is scheduled for Thursday, March 14 at the Gigante de Acero, where Monterrey will face off against Cincinnati to determine the team that advances to the Quarterfinals. The winner of this matchup will go on to face either Inter Miami or Nashville in the next round.