Gerso Fernandes played a leading role on Thursday as Sporting thrashed Toluca 3-0 in the first leg of the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Round of 16.
The diminutive winger set up Krisztian Nemeth's opening goal in the 35th minute, bagged a goal of his own in the 52nd and caused Toluca all sorts of defensive issues throughout the night.
Concacaf took notice today, naming Fernandes to its Concacaf Champions League Team of the Week.
Fernandes and Sporting are in a favorable position ahead of next week’s trip to Mexico, but the job is far from over. The second-leg fixture at Estadio Nemesio Diez in Toluca will take place at an altitude of 8,750 feet, the highest elevation Sporting has ever played a competitive match.
Sporting can advance to the Champions League quarterfinals next Thursday with a win, a draw or a loss by two or fewer goals. A 3-0 Toluca win would send the tie into penalty kicks. In the round of 16, no extra time will be played. A three-goal Toluca win in which Sporting scores at least once (4-1, 5-2, etc.) would see Manager Peter Vermes’ side advance on the away goals tiebreaker.
The decisive second-leg showdown will kick off at 9 p.m. CT on YahooSports.com, the Yahoo Sports app and Univision Deportes. The series winner will face the victor between Toronto FC and Independiente FC of Panama in the quarterfinals, with those games currently slated for March 5-7 and March 12-14.
“Everybody understands what they need to do,” Fernandes said after the match. “It’s important and winning 3-0 at home is huge for us, especially because we didn’t concede any goals.
“We know they have a good team, winning 3-0 here is nothing if you don’t go there and play as a team,” he continued. “That’s what we need to have in our head: to play as a team and do our best.”
