Tigres UANL put one foot forward in their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday night, defeating Seattle Sounders FC 2-0 in the first leg at Estadio Universitario.

After a tight, combative first half finished goalless, the Liga MX side found their edge after the interval. Ozziel Herrera broke the deadlock in the 51st minute, rewarding a stretch of mounting Tigres pressure and finally giving the home side the breakthrough their territorial control had hinted at.

Seattle had done well to keep the fixture level before the break, even as Tigres dictated much of the rhythm. The hosts ended the night with 57.4 percent possession, won all four corners in the match, and piled up 22 total shots to Seattle’s four. That weight of pressure eventually told.

Herrera, who had already been booked in the 21st minute, remained one of the most dangerous players on the pitch and turned the match decisively in Tigres’ favor with his 51st-minute goal. Seattle, meanwhile, struggled to establish sustained attacking sequences and managed just two shots on target across the 90 minutes.

The Sounders were still within touching distance at 1-0, but the tie swung further away in the 76th minute when Jackson Ragen turned the ball into his own net under pressure, handing Tigres a second goal and a far stronger cushion heading into the return leg.

There was no shortage of edge in the contest. Nouhou Tolo was cautioned for Seattle deep into first-half stoppage time at 45+2′, while Rodrigo Aguirre and Fernando Gorriarán went into the book for Tigres in the second half. Cristian Roldan also saw yellow in the 58th minute, and substitute Peter Kingston was booked in stoppage time as Seattle chased a way back.

For Tigres, the clean sheet may have been nearly as important as the two-goal margin. Seattle leave Mexico with work to do in the second leg after being pinned back for long stretches and failing to find an away goal. The quarterfinal is not over, but Tigres carry the clear advantage after a mature, forceful first-leg performance.

Goals: Ozziel Herrera 51′; Jackson Ragen (own goal) 76′.