2015 CONCACAF Champions League Finals

2015 CONCACAF Champions League Finals
Event 2014–15 CONCACAF Champions League
América Montreal Impact
Mexico Canada
5 3
on aggregate
First leg
América Montreal Impact
1 1
Date April 22, 2015
Venue Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
Referee Héctor Rodríguez (Honduras)
Attendance 56,783
Second leg
Montreal Impact América
2 4
Date April 29, 2015
Venue Olympic Stadium, Montreal
Referee Henry Bejarano (Costa Rica)
Attendance 61,004

The 2015 CONCACAF Champions League Finals was the final of the 2014–15 CONCACAF Champions League, the 7th edition of the CONCACAF Champions League under its current format, and overall the 50th edition of the premium football club competition organized by CONCACAF, the regional governing body of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

The final was contested in two-legged home-and-away format between Mexican team América and Canadian team Montreal Impact. The first leg was hosted by América at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on April 22, 2015, while the second leg was hosted by Montreal Impact at Olympic Stadium in Montreal on April 29, 2015.[1] The winner earned the right to represent CONCACAF at the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup, entering at the quarterfinal stage.[2]

After a 1–1 first leg,[3] América won the second leg 4–2 to win their sixth overall CONCACAF club title.[4]

Background

For only the second time in seven seasons of the CONCACAF Champions League, the final featured a non-Mexican team, with the only previous occasion where it was not an all-Mexican final being in 2011, where Real Salt Lake lost to Monterrey.[5][6]

This was the first final of América in the CONCACAF Champions League era, but they had won the CONCACAF Champions' Cup title five times (1977, 1987, 1990, 1992, 2006). They were aiming to equal Cruz Azul's record of six CONCACAF club titles which was set in last year's final.

Montreal Impact was the first Canadian team to reach a CONCACAF club final. They were aiming to become the first non-Mexican team to win in the CONCACAF Champions League era, and the third Major League Soccer team to win the CONCACAF club title after D.C. United (1998) and LA Galaxy (2000).

Road to the finals

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).

Mexico América Round Canada Montreal Impact
Opponent Result Group stage Opponent Result
Bye Matchday 1 El Salvador FAS 1–0 (H)
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Bayamón 6–1 (H) Matchday 2 El Salvador FAS 3–2 (A)
Guatemala Comunicaciones 1–1 (A) Matchday 3 Bye
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Bayamón 10–1 (A) Matchday 4 United States New York Red Bulls 1–0 (H)
Bye Matchday 5 Bye
Guatemala Comunicaciones 2–0 (H) Matchday 6 United States New York Red Bulls 1–1 (A)
Group 8 winner
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Mexico América 4 3 1 0 19 3 +16 10 Advance to championship stage
2 Guatemala Comunicaciones 4 2 1 1 8 3 +5 7
3 Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Bayamón 4 0 0 4 2 23 −21 0
Source: CONCACAF
 Final standings Group 3 winner
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Canada Montreal Impact 4 3 1 0 6 3 +3 10 Advance to championship stage
2 United States New York Red Bulls 4 1 2 1 3 2 +1 5
3 El Salvador FAS 4 0 1 3 2 6 −4 1
Source: CONCACAF
Opponent Agg. 1st leg 2nd leg Championship stage Opponent Agg. 1st leg 2nd leg
Costa Rica Saprissa 5–0 3–0 (A) 2–0 (H) Quarterfinals Mexico Pachuca 3–3 (a) 2–2 (A) 1–1 (H)
Costa Rica Herediano 6–3 0–3 (A) 6–0 (H) Semifinals Costa Rica Alajuelense 4–4 (a) 2–0 (H) 2–4 (A)

Rules

The final was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. The away goals rule would be used if the aggregate score was level after normal time of the second leg, but not after extra time, and so the final would be decided by penalty shoot-out if the aggregate score was level after extra time of the second leg.[2]

Matches

First leg

Montreal Impact took the lead in the 16th minute after Ignacio Piatti received a pass from Dominic Oduro to shoot home inside the penalty area. América equalized in the 89th minute, as half-time substitute Oribe Peralta, who was subbed on for Martinez, headed in Rubens Sambueza's free kick. Shortly after the equalizer, Montreal goalkeeper Evan Bush was shown a yellow card for kicking the ball Paul Aguilar, however, replays show that Aguilar jumped in front of the ball as Bush was kicking it away. Aguilar then proceeded to punch Bush in the face, which went unpunished. This yellow card was crucial, as it suspended Bush for the second leg of the final.[3][7][8]

América
Montreal Impact
GK 23 Mexico Moisés Muñoz
DF 22 Mexico Paul Aguilar YC 89'
DF 4 Mexico Erik Pimentel
DF 12 Paraguay Pablo Aguilar
DF 6 Paraguay Miguel Samudio
MF 5 Argentina Cristian Pellerano  70'
MF 10 Paraguay Osvaldo Martínez YC 45'  46'
MF 11 Ecuador Michael Arroyo
MF 14 Argentina Rubens Sambueza (c)
FW 3 Colombia Carlos Quintero
FW 9 Argentina Darío Benedetto  80'
Substitutions:
GK 1 Mexico Hugo González
MF 8 Mexico Moisés Velasco
DF 15 Mexico Osmar Mares
MF 21 Mexico José Guerrero  70'
FW 24 Mexico Oribe Peralta  46'
FW 28 Mexico Martín Zúñiga  80'
DF 30 Mexico Zaid Veyna
Manager:
Uruguay Gustavo Matosas
GK 1 United States Evan Bush YC 89'
DF 6 France Hassoun Camara  66'
DF 5 Mali Bakary Soumaré
DF 23 Belgium Laurent Ciman
DF 25 United States Donny Toia
MF 15 Argentina Andrés Romero YC 88'
MF 14 England Nigel Reo-Coker (c)  75'
MF 16 Scotland Calum Mallace
MF 11 United States Dilly Duka YC 71'  71'
FW 10 Argentina Ignacio Piatti YC 16'
FW 7 Ghana Dominic Oduro
Substitutions:
DF 3 United States Eric Miller  66'
MF 8 Canada Patrice Bernier  75'
DF 51 Canada Maxim Tissot  71'
MF 55 France Wandrille Lefèvre
FW 99 United States Jack McInerney
GK 41 Canada John Smits
FW 13 United States Kenny Cooper
Manager:
United States Frank Klopas
Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Mexico, hosted the first leg.

Assistant referees:[12]
Cristian Ramírez (Honduras)
Oscar Velásquez (Honduras)
Fourth official:
Armando Castro (Honduras)

Second leg

Montreal Impact took the lead in the 8th minute, after Andrés Romero received Ignacio Piatti's pass, dribbled on goal and scored. Darío Benedetto had a golden chance just a few minutes later when he had a seemingly open goal from 4 yards out, but his shot hit the crossbar and the Impact cleared the ball away. Piatti had a great chance to extend the lead for Montreal midway through the first half, but Moisés Muñoz made a great save for Club America. The lead lasted until the 50th minute, as Darío Benedetto equalized for América with a scissor kick from Osvaldo Martínez's cross. América took the lead in the 65th minute, when Carlos Quintero headed the ball across goal for Oribe Peralta to head it in. Benedetto increased América's lead two minutes later as he stabbed in a cross from Miguel Samudio, and completed his hat-trick in the 81st minute with a curling shot after another assist from Quintero. Jack McInerney added a consolation goal in the 88th minute as he scored from Piatti's pass.[4][13]

April 29, 2015
20:00 UTC−4
Montreal Impact Canada 2–4 Mexico América
Romero  8'
McInerney  88'		 Report Benedetto  50', 67', 81'
Peralta  65'
Montreal Impact
América
GK 30 Germany Kristian Nicht
DF 14 England Nigel Reo-Coker (c)
DF 5 Mali Bakary Soumaré YC 25'
DF 23 Belgium Laurent Ciman YC 63'
DF 25 United States Donny Toia  70'
MF 15 Argentina Andrés Romero YC 36'
MF 16 Scotland Calum Mallace  78'
MF 10 Argentina Ignacio Piatti
MF 33 Italy Marco Donadel  67'
MF 11 United States Dilly Duka
FW 7 Ghana Dominic Oduro YC 69'
Substitutions:
GK 40 Canada Maxime Crépeau
DF 51 Canada Maxim Tissot  70'
DF 3 United States Eric Miller
MF 8 Canada Patrice Bernier  78'
MF 55 France Wandrille Lefèvre
FW 99 United States Jack McInerney  67'
FW 13 United States Kenny Cooper
Manager:
United States Frank Klopas
GK 23 Mexico Moisés Muñoz
DF 22 Mexico Paul Aguilar
DF 17 United States Ventura Alvarado
DF 12 Paraguay Pablo Aguilar YC 34'
DF 6 Paraguay Miguel Samudio
MF 3 Colombia Carlos Quintero  82'
MF 21 Mexico José Guerrero YC 28'
MF 10 Paraguay Osvaldo Martínez YC 36'
MF 14 Argentina Rubens Sambueza (c)  87'
FW 24 Mexico Oribe Peralta  84'
FW 9 Argentina Darío Benedetto YC 67'
Substitutions:
GK 1 Mexico Hugo González
DF 4 Mexico Erik Pimentel
DF 15 Mexico Osmar Mares  87'
MF 5 Argentina Cristian Pellerano
MF 11 Ecuador Michael Arroyo  84'
FW 27 Mexico José Antonio Madueña  82'
FW 28 Mexico Martín Zúñiga
Manager:
Uruguay Gustavo Matosas
Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, hosted the second leg.

Assistant referees:[15]
Leonel Leal (Costa Rica)
Octavio Jara (Costa Rica)
Fourth official:
Jefrrey Solís (Costa Rica)

References

  1. ↑ "Scotiabank CCL final dates, times set". CONCACAF.com. April 9, 2015.
  2. 1 2 "CONCACAF Champions League 2014–15 Regulations" (PDF). CONCACAF.com.
  3. 1 2 "Peralta lifts Club America to draw with Montreal". CONCACAF.com. April 22, 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Club America wins SCCL title". CONCACAF.com. April 29, 2015.
  5. ↑ "SCCL finals at a glance". CONCACAF.com. April 20, 2015.
  6. ↑ "SCCL final facts & figures". CONCACAF.com. April 21, 2015.
  7. ↑ http://www.mlssoccer.com/ccl/news/article/2015/04/27/champions-league-montreal-looking-all-options-keeper-evan-bush-fumes-over-cc
  8. ↑ "Club América vs Montreal Impact Highlights". Youtube. April 22, 2015.
  9. ↑ http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/index.php?/page/articles.html/_/24th-minute/best-concacaf-champions-leaguecup-of-all-time-r5219
  10. ↑ http://www.impactmontreal.com/en/news/2015/04/bleu-blanc-noir-mosaic-wednesday-night
  11. ↑ http://m.terra.com.mx/noticia?n=2cfe3c164ff932addb9ce04cf12feddav1jsRCRD
  12. ↑ "Cuarteto arbitral de Honduras designado para el partido de ida de la Final de la SCCL" (in Spanish). UNCAF. April 19, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Montreal Impact vs Club América Highlights". Youtube. April 29, 2015.
  14. ↑ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/soccer/impacts-concacaf-champions-league-trophy-chances-dashed-after-home-defeat/article24178935/
  15. ↑ "Cuarteto arbitral de Costa Rica designado para el partido final de la SCCL" (in Spanish). UNCAF. April 17, 2015.
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