MONTERREY, Mexico -- Jose Rivas and Jurgen Damm scored goals in the second half on Wednesday night as Tigres defeated Real Salt Lake 2-0 in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals series.
Rivas opened the scoring in the 67th minute and Damm sealed the win in the 86th for Tigres, which is looking to qualify for a first semifinal in this tournament.
Tigres, Liga MX champions, was a runner-up in last year's Copa Libertadores and needs a tie or a 1-0 loss to get to the semis.
The second leg will be played next Wednesday in Salt Lake City.
Real Salt Lake was far from its top shape because the game was played two weeks before the start of the Major League Soccer season.
French striker Andre-Pierre Gignac missed a penalty kick in the 45th minute for Tigres.