The Rayados de Monterrey drew 1-1 against the Vancouver Whitecaps in the first match of the Round of 16 of the Concacaf Champions League. The Mexican team took the lead in the first half, but ended up drawing in the final minutes of the game. Uncertainty is growing in Monterrey, as the team has not been able to secure a win without Sergio Ramos on the field.

Monterrey allowed the equalizer in the final minutes

Despite starting without several key players, such as Sergio Ramos, Sergio Canales, and the top scorer Germán Berterame, the Rayados dominated the match early on. It was in the 25th minute when Roberto de la Rosa took advantage of a pass from Erick Aguirre and scored with a precise right-footed shot.

On the other hand, the Vancouver Whitecaps dominated the second half, creating several clear chances to equalize. It was in the 86th minute when Belal Halbouni scored with a header after a service from Gauld on a corner kick. The return leg will take place next Wednesday. The winning team will face the winner of the matchup between Pumas and Alajuelense.

Statements by Martín Demichelis

The coach of Rayados de Monterrey, Martín Demichelis, expressed his frustration with the draw in the final minutes: "We talked at halftime to try to correct some mistakes and keep thinking ahead. We didn’t have a good second half, the opponent played better than us, and it led us to have to defend deeper, and the result was fair."

Before focusing on the return match, Monterrey returns to action in Liga MX to face a tough opponent like Cruz Azul: "Now we’ll be in Mexico, and while in this profession we have to take it day by day, after Cruz Azul we have four days without travel, which will allow us to properly recover the players who need it."