The trophy cabinet at Toluca just got a little heavier. Paulinho, the 32-year-old Portuguese international striker, helped his Mexican club claim yet another piece of silverware. He was in the starting lineup as Toluca clinched the Campeones Cup, defeating the American side LA Galaxy in a thrilling 3-2 match. The Galaxy, by the way, were the reigning MLS Cup champions, so this was no easy feat.
Paulinho arrived at the final on a real hot streak. He had scored five goals in his previous three games, showing off his scoring touch. He even thought he had added another to his tally in the 79th minute, but the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) had other ideas and ruled it out. So, while he didn’t find the back of the net in this particular final, he still played a crucial 91 minutes. The big game unfolded in Carson, California, giving fans a taste of continental club rivalry.