Cavalry FC makes history with comeback victory against Mexico's Pumas UNAM

Tobias Warschewski scored a highlight-reel goal in the 80th minute to give Cavalry FC a memorable 2-1 comeback win over Mexico's Pumas UNAM in the opening leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup first-round series Thursday.

The victory came in Cavalry's first competitive game since winning the Canadian Premier League championship Nov. 9.

The deciding play started when Ali Musse found Jay Herdman in the Pumas penalty box. Herdman headed it over to Warschewski, who deftly flicked it from one foot to another to evade a defender before poking the ball past goalkeeper Alex Padilla.

The goal by Warschewski, who led the CPL in scoring last season with 14 goals, survived a lengthy video review for offside before it was confirmed by Guatemalan referee Mario Escobar.

Warschewski said the team had to compose itself after falling behind.

"When you concede just before halftime a goal like that, I think everybody was a little bit head down into the locker-room," said Warschewski. "But we showed character in the second half and I think we deserved the win today."

Asked about the winning goal, the German forward said he wasn't sure what happened on the play.

"Sometimes I just black out, I don't know. I just touched it, finished it. I don't know how really to explain it."

Charlie Trafford's 57th-minute goal had cancelled out a 44th-minute strike by Pumas' Canadian-Mexican teenager Santiago Lopez.

It was a night of firsts, with Calgary's Cavalry recording the CPL's first-ever win over an elite Mexican side.

Trafford's goal was a first for Cavalry against Liga MX opposition. And the 19-year-old Lopez opened his scoring account for the Pumas first team late in the first half.

But the series is not over.

The return leg is Feb. 13 at Mexico