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Toronto FC beats Tigres on away goals to advance to CCL semi-finals

Azael Rodriguez / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Toronto FC has advanced to the CONCACAF Champions League semi-finals despite losing 3-2 to Tigres UANL in a wild second-leg bout at the Estadio Universitario, with Sebastian Giovinco's inch-perfect free-kick proving the difference in an aggregate 4-4 draw for the Reds due to the away-goal rule.

Greg Vanney's side took a 2-1 lead from a first-leg win at BMO Field into Monterrey on Tuesday, and found a fortuitous opening goal in the 64th minute, as Giovinco forced Rafael Carioca into making a mistake and scoring an own goal. But Tigres would not relent, as Eduardo Vargas scored a header off a corner kick in the 69th minute to restore the draw at 1-1.

The Reds - sans Justin Morrow who came off with injury at the 15-minute mark - responded soon after with Giovinco's free-kick, which would ultimately prove the difference as Andre-Pierre Gignac scored an 84th-minute equalizer before tucking home a 91st-minute penalty to level the aggregate score at 4-4.

Tigres' own goal, coupled with Giovinco's free-kick, gave Toronto FC two away goals to Tigres' one - scored by Vargas at BMO Field last week - and that was the tie-breaker that gave the Reds the slightest edge in this exhilarating back-and-forth battle.

Toronto FC now moves on to take on one of Club America or Tauro in the semi-finals, but could not end Tigres' undefeated home streak, with the Mexican outfit now unbeaten in 15 straight matches.

It's unlikely Giovinco and Co. will dwell on it too much, though.

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