Necaxa wins Copa MX title after shocking Toluca own goal

Jon Arnold

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Necaxa wins Copa MX title after shocking Toluca own goal image

Necaxa couldn't find the back of the net in Wednesday's Copa MX contest against Toluca, but Toluca did it for them.

With the match scoreless in the 87th minute, Felipe Gallegos sent forward a long ball looking for forward Martin Barragan. Toluca center back Santiago Garcia intervened at the top of the box, but rather than clearing the ball out for a goal kick as intended he looped in a stunning own goal over the head of goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera.

Necaxa had four titles in the Copa Mexico to its name, but all came well before the modern era. The team's last cup title was in the 1935-36 season. It also breaks a drought for a first-division trophy for Necaxa, although its not as long as the cup drought.

Necaxa last won a first-division title when it won the league in the Invierno 98 tournament. The historic side has been relegated twice since that title but returned to the top division after winning the 2016 Ascenso Clausura and getting past Juarez in the promotion final.

It's also the first title Necaxa has won since moving to Aguascalientes from Mexico City 15 years ago.

"It's very important. We really made history, winning an important title for this club. We see it as something positive as well for the rest of the league because we're also looking to qualify for the playoffs and then, of course, fight for the league title," fullback Miguel Ponce said after the contest.  

It was a match in which both teams had scoring chances and also penalty shouts but neither could break through. Toluca had the ball in the back of the net thanks to a 73rd minute set piece only for the flag to correctly be raised for an offside violation. Everything pointed to a penalty shootout before Garcia's error.

The Rayos will square off against Monterrey, the champion of the Apertura edition of the Copa MX, in the Supercopa MX. The match is set to take place July 15 at the StubHub Center in Southern California.

Jon Arnold

Jon Arnold Photo

Jon Arnold covered the Mexico national team and Concacaf region in English for Goal until March 2020. His byline also has appeared in the Dallas Morning News, the New York Times Goal blog, FloFC and Pacific Standard. In addition to his written work, he serves as the Concacaf expert on the BBC's World Football Phone-In and has appeared on SiriusXMFC in English and Fox Deportes and Milenio in Spanish. Formerly based in Tijuana and currently living in Texas, Jon covered the 2018 World Cup, the 2015 Copa America, the 2016 Copa America Centenario and the last five Gold Cups.