Liga MX: USMNT's Zendejas scores América game-winner in 1st leg final

United States men's national team winger Alejandro Zendejas scored a 49th minute game-winner for Club América in a 2-1 victory against Monterrey in Thursday's first leg of the Liga MX final.

Held at Puebla's Estadio Cuauhtemoc -- Club América's temporary home for the championship series -- the final first kicked off with an early injury setback for the visitors. Following a run down the left flank, Monterrey's Lucas Ocampos suffered an apparent muscle injury that forced a substitution in the fourth minute.

Despite this, Martin Demichelis' Monterrey held most of the possession in the first half. With Héctor Moreno, Víctor Guzmán and Sergio Canales providing the ball distribution.

Los Rayados eventually found an opportunity for the first goal in the 35th minute after Canales capitalized a rare open space left by a defensive Club América. The Spain midfielder launched a shot from distance, giving Monterrey a 1-0 lead.

In response, Las Aguilas wasted little time. Thanks to a counter that led to a scramble in the 18-yard box for a loose ball, fullback Kevin Álvarez recovered a mishit opportunity from Zendejas, and then slotted the ball into the back of the net in the 39th minute.

Maintaining their pressure, Club América hit the ground running after halftime.

Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images

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With a chance to take the lead, midfielder Álvaro Fidalgo ran forward with the ball in the 49th minute, before finding Zendejas through an accurate line-splitting pass. The U.S. winger cleverly shot to the left of the keeper to make it 2-1 in Club America's favor.

To make matters more difficult for Monterrey in the second half, there appeared to be another knock to a key figure when Canales asked to be substituted in the 65th minute. Due to his absence, Los Rayados struggled to regain momentum from the home side that increased their possession of the ball as the clock winded down.

By the final whistle, Las Aguilas secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory.

With the result in hand, Club América will head into Sunday's away leg in Monterrey with a narrow advantage in the final.

If the Mexico City giants win, they will become the first to earn three consecutive championships in the short-season era of Liga MX.

The title would also further extend their league-leading all-time trophy tally to 16, thereby giving them a four-championship cushion over Chivas' 12.

Monterrey will seek to bounce back and claim their sixth title and their first under Demichelis. The championship would be the second for Los Rayados since 2019.