After the Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana action was settled midweek, weekend action across the Americas saw compelling contests in Liga MX, the Brasileiro and more, including Miguel Borja’s amazing bicycle kick in Mexico’s Clasico Nacional. We recap all of the weekend for you, as always.
Miguel Borja’s Bicycle Kick Helps Club America Draw With Chivas
The biggest game of the weekend was the Clasico Nacional in Mexico between America and Chivas Guadalajara. The match began in favor of the visitors Chivas, Bryan Gonzalez scored first, and an America own goal made it 2-0 Chivas into the half. The sacred flock were playing with confidence, in a clasico that always tends to be a bit cautious in terms of how it’s played. In the first half, Club America, playing at home at the Estadio Azteca, had only managed 3 shots on goal. The second half was a different story. Las Aguilas renewed their efforts and a brace from Miguel Borja, goals in the 71st and 74th minute led to America storming back to share the spoils and draw the match 2-2.
The goal in the 71st minute is the one all of Mexico was talking about, Borja went up for a bicycle kick and it found the back of the net, scoring one of the best goals, not just in Liga MX, but worldwide for 2026.
Borja, 33 from Colombia, just signed with America during the recent window after more than 100 matches with River Plate in Argentina, but instantly he endeared himself to the supporters of America. The substitute Borja instantly changing the game’s momentum and undoing the good work Chivas had done to that point.
The 2-2 draw shows how competitive the top of Liga MX is, with Leagues Cup winner Toluca currently topping the table and Chivas and America occupying positions 2 and 3 on the table ahead of the international break for El Tri’s friendlies. Of note, Toluca were stunned by Santos Laguna 3-2 on Sunday. Santos, near the bottom of the Liga MX table, came back from a 2-0 deficit, scoring three times against a 10-man Toluca, in Toluca.
Cavan Sullivan Scores Again for Philadelphia After US MNT Call Up
Cavan Sullivan will celebrate his 17th birthday as a member of the US Men’s National Team, as the teenager was handled his first call-up by Mauricio Pochettino this past week for the upcoming international break friendlies. Sullivan was among the goalscorers on the weekend as Philadelphia Union defeated Sporting KC 4-3. The win moved Philadelphia up to 6th in the Eastern Conference.
A 1-0 win for New York Red Bulls over rivals NYCFC moved them into 8th, and into the playoff positions in the East. Teenager Julian Hall, another Pochettino call up, was the lone goalscorer in that matchup. NYCFC now sits just outside the playoff positions.
Gabriel Barbosa Lifting Santos in Brasileiro
The one they call “Gabigol” Gabriel Barbosa has been the major factor in Santos recent winning streak that is lifting them out of the relegation zone in the Brasileiro. Santos defeated Remo 2-1 on the weekend and Barbosa scored his 11th goal in 19 league games on the season. Gabigol has carved out massive role in Brazil’s domestic league, despite not appearing for the national team in four years. With a fourth consecutive win, Santos is now 8th in the league table. Flamengo leads Palmeiras by three points at the top.
Looking at the bottom of the table, Remo and Chapecoense are in trouble and far from safety. Internacional and Gremio would also be relegated if the season ended today, with Vasco da Gama 16th and 2 points clear of the drop. Corinthians haven’t won a league match since August 9th and it’s time to be nervous about relegation as well.
CONCACAF Central American Cup Semifinals are Set
The 2026 CONCACAF Central American Cup semifinals are set with Costa Rica and Honduras contributing two teams each. Olimpia (Honduras) will take on Cartagines (Costa Rica) in the first semifinal. In the second semifinal it’s Costa Rica’s Alajuelense against Motagua (Honduras). The two-leg semifinals will take place in late October. The quarterfinal between Cartagines and Saprissa, also from Costa Rica, was the most compelling of the four, it ended 5-4 on aggregate. All four semifinalists are into the 2027 CONCACAF Champions Cup field, joining a historic nine teams from Liga MX.
Final CONEMBOL and CONCACAF Squads Announced for International Window
This week we covered the full squad call ups for CONCACAF and CONEMBOL international teams for the September/October window, the final squads have now been announced. Bolivia named two newcomers from the domestic league to the squad for matches against Paraguay and Argentina. Ecuador’s tour of Asia, the first under Marcelo Gallardo features Kenny Arroyo (Cruzeiro) and Jeremy Sarmiento (Middlesbrough) returning to a squad that mostly includes players who were at the 2026 World Cup. Jamaica and Costa Rica also confirmed their squads for the CONCACAF Nations League, and Panama confirmed their squad for friendlies.
The Last Word
From Borja’s spectacular bicycle kick in the Clasico Nacional to Gabigol’s continued resurgence with Santos, the weekend delivered plenty of memorable individual performances across the Americas. The Central American Cup is also taking shape, while the international break now shifts the spotlight back to the national teams. For some players, like Cavan Sullivan, Santiago Sandoval, and Julian Hall, that means an opportunity to introduce themselves to the international stage. For others, who were not selected by their national teams, it’s an opportunity to train and rest for the rest of season.
Main Photo Credit: Imago Images PHOTO BY IMAGENSHOP PHOTO AGENCY MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
