Football
Tom Marshall, Mexico correspondent 7y

Chivas edge Toluca, Tigres down Tijuana to book Liga MX final spots

#INSERT type:image caption: Edwin Hernandez and Oswaldo Alanis celebrate after Nestor Calderon's goal sent Chivas 1-0 up against Tolcua. END#

GUADALAJARA, Mexico -- All-Mexican team Chivas will face reigning Liga MX champion Tigres in its first league final in just over 10 years, following Sunday's 1-1 draw against Toluca on Sunday.

The semifinal series finished 2-2 after 180 minutes, but Chivas went through to the 2017 Clausura final due to their higher standing in the regular season.

Tigres defeated Club Tijuana 2-0 in Estadio Caliente later on Sunday and advanced to the final 4-0 on aggregate.

The final first leg will be played at Tigres' Estadio Universitario next Thursday and in Estadio Chivas next Sunday.

Chivas took the lead in the 30th minute in their match. Left-back Edwin Hernandez drew a foul from Gabriel Hauche near the touchline and Nestor Calderon drove the resulting free kick in at Alfredo Talavera's near post.

Chivas had the better of the first half against a Toluca team that seemed to lack urgency and should've gone up as early as the 14th minute, when Orbelin Pineda hit the bar from the edge of the penalty area, with keeper Talavera stranded.

Toluca coach Hernan Cristante sensed the need to change the game and sent on Enrique Triverio and Jesus Mendez on at the break to give his team more of a presence up front.

The subs worked immediately, with Toluca much more dangerous after the break. It only took three minutes for them to level, with Fernando Uribe beating Rodolfo Cota with a snap shot, although Chivas midfielder Jose Juan "Gallito" Vazquez should've cut out the cross.

But despite Angel Zaldivar and Carlos Salcido leaving the field with injuries in the second half, Chivas saw out the game relatively comfortably.

In the later game, Tigres' path to the final was even more comfortable, with Mexico international winger Javier Aquino netting the opener in the 64th from an Andre-Pierre Gignac assist. Jurgen Damm made it 2-0 in second half injury time.

Tijuana midfielder Guido Rodriguez -- who received his first call-up to the Argentina national team earlier in the week -- was sent off in the 50th minute.

Tigres head into the Liga MX Clausura final as the form team, having won their past six matches, scoring 18 and conceding just twice over those matches.

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