FC Cincinnati delivered a shock 3-0 defeat of Tigres UANL, a LIGA MX powerhouse, in their Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 opener. Seattle Sounders FC also earned a statement win, topping Vancouver Whitecaps FC 3-0. Both matches took place on Thursday night.
Denkey’s Dominance for Cincinnati
Kévin Denkey’s brace powered Cincinnati to their emphatic victory. Denkey opened the scoring early, capitalising on a goalkeeping mishap from Nahuel Guzmán. He then assisted on Tom Barlow’s 53rd-minute breakaway goal.
Denkey completed his brace in the final minutes. This gave Cincinnati a three-goal cushion heading into Leg 2 at Estadio Universitario on March 19.
Sounders Secure Comfortable Win
Paul Arriola scored twice in the Sounders’ 3-0 victory at BC Place against Vancouver. Arriola struck on the verge of halftime after linking up with Jesús Ferreira. He then scored again in the second half after a rebound.
Paul Rothrock, a substitute, added a late goal to round out the result.
Looking Ahead
The series winners will advance to the tournament quarterfinals in April. They are chasing a CCC crown that grants a spot in the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2026 FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
- Cincinnati are in a strong position against Tigres UANL thanks to their 3-0 result.
- Seattle will host Leg 2 against Vancouver on March 18 with three away goals.
- The aggregate winner of Cincinnati vs Tigres UANL will face Vancouver or Seattle in the quarterfinals.
Arriola marked his first start in over a year with his brace, having recovered from an ACL injury he sustained during the 2025 CCC.