2015 CONCACAF Champions League final

2015 CONCACAF Champions League final
Event2014–15 CONCACAF Champions League
América Montreal Impact
5 3
on aggregate
First leg
América Montreal Impact
1 1
Date22 April 2015
VenueEstadio Azteca, Mexico City
RefereeHéctor Rodríguez (Honduras)
Attendance56,783
Second leg
Montreal Impact América
2 4
Date29 April 2015
VenueOlympic Stadium, Montreal
RefereeHenry Bejarano (Costa Rica)
Attendance61,004

The 2015 CONCACAF Champions League final 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 Mexico's América and Canada's Montreal Impact. The first leg was hosted by América at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on 22 April 2015, while the second leg was hosted by the Montreal Impact at Olympic Stadium in Montreal on 29 April 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 5–3 on aggregate for their record-tying 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 2014'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 final

Further information: 2014–15 CONCACAF Champions League

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

América Round Montreal Impact
Opponent Result Group stage Opponent Result
Bye Matchday 1 FAS 1–0 (H)
Puerto Rico Bayamón 6–1 (H) Matchday 2 FAS 3–2 (A)
Comunicaciones 1–1 (A) Matchday 3 Bye
Puerto Rico Bayamón 10–1 (A) Matchday 4 New York Red Bulls 1–0 (H)
Bye Matchday 5 Bye
Comunicaciones 2–0 (H) Matchday 6 New York Red Bulls 1–1 (A)
Group 8 winner

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 América 4 3 1 0 19 3 +16 10 Advance to championship stage
2 Comunicaciones 4 2 1 1 8 3 +5 7
3 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 Montreal Impact 4 3 1 0 6 3 +3 10 Advance to championship stage
2 New York Red Bulls 4 1 2 1 3 2 +1 5
3 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
Saprissa 5–0 3–0 (A) 2–0 (H) Quarterfinals Pachuca 3–3 (a) 2–2 (A) 1–1 (H)
Herediano 6–3 0–3 (A) 6–0 (H) Semifinals 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 1–1 Montreal Impact
Peralta 88' Report Piatti 16'
Attendance: 56,783[9][10][11]
América
Montreal Impact
GK 23 Moisés Muñoz
DF 22 Paul Aguilar  89'
DF 4 Erik Pimentel
DF 12 Pablo Aguilar
DF 6 Miguel Samudio
MF 5 Cristian Pellerano  70'
MF 10 Osvaldo Martínez  45'  46'
MF 11 Michael Arroyo
MF 14 Rubens Sambueza (c)
FW 3 Darwin Quintero
FW 9 Darío Benedetto  80'
Substitutions:
GK 1 Hugo González
MF 8 Moisés Velasco
DF 15 Osmar Mares
MF 21 José Guerrero  70'
FW 24 Oribe Peralta  46'
FW 28 Martín Zúñiga  80'
DF 30 Zaid Veyna
Manager:
Gustavo Matosas
GK 1 Evan Bush  89'
DF 6 Hassoun Camara  66'
DF 5 Bakary Soumaré
DF 23 Laurent Ciman
DF 25 Donny Toia
MF 15 Andrés Romero  88'
MF 14 Nigel Reo-Coker (c)  75'
MF 16 Calum Mallace
MF 11 Dilly Duka  71'  71'
FW 10 Ignacio Piatti  16'
FW 7 Dominic Oduro
Substitutions:
DF 3 Eric Miller  66'
MF 8 Patrice Bernier  75'
DF 51 Maxim Tissot  71'
MF 55 Wandrille Lefèvre
FW 99 Jack McInerney
GK 41 John Smits
FW 13 Kenny Cooper
Manager:
Frank Klopas

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 Darwin 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]

Montreal Impact 2–4 América
Romero 8'
McInerney 88'		 Report Benedetto 50', 67', 81'
Peralta 65'
Attendance: 61,004[14]
Montreal Impact
América
GK 30 Kristian Nicht
DF 14 Nigel Reo-Coker (c)
DF 5 Bakary Soumaré  25'
DF 23 Laurent Ciman  63'
DF 25 Donny Toia  70'
MF 15 Andrés Romero  36'
MF 16 Calum Mallace  78'
MF 10 Ignacio Piatti
MF 33 Marco Donadel  67'
MF 11 Dilly Duka
FW 7 Dominic Oduro  69'
Substitutions:
GK 40 Maxime Crépeau
DF 51 Maxim Tissot  70'
DF 3 Eric Miller
MF 8 Patrice Bernier  78'
MF 55 Wandrille Lefèvre
FW 99 Jack McInerney  67'
FW 13 Kenny Cooper
Manager:
Frank Klopas
GK 23 Moisés Muñoz
DF 22 Paul Aguilar
DF 17 Ventura Alvarado
DF 12 Pablo Aguilar  34'
DF 6 Miguel Samudio
MF 3 Darwin Quintero  82'
MF 21 José Guerrero  28'
MF 10 Osvaldo Martínez  36'
MF 14 Rubens Sambueza (c)  87'
FW 24 Oribe Peralta  84'
FW 9 Darío Benedetto  67'
Substitutions:
GK 1 Hugo González
DF 4 Erik Pimentel
DF 15 Osmar Mares  87'
MF 5 Cristian Pellerano
MF 11 Michael Arroyo  84'
FW 27 José Madueña  82'
FW 28 Martín Zúñiga
Manager:
Gustavo Matosas

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. 9 April 2015. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  2. ^ a b "CONCACAF Champions League 2014–15 Regulations" (PDF). CONCACAF.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Peralta lifts Club America to draw with Montreal". CONCACAF.com. 22 April 2015. Archived from the original on 28 April 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Club America wins SCCL title". CONCACAF.com. 29 April 2015. Archived from the original on 4 May 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  5. ^ "SCCL finals at a glance". CONCACAF.com. 20 April 2015. Archived from the original on 3 May 2015.
  6. ^ "SCCL final facts & figures". CONCACAF.com. 21 April 2015. Archived from the original on 4 May 2015.
  7. ^ "Champions League: Montreal looking at all options as GK Evan Bush fumes over leg 2 suspension | MLSsoccer.com". Archived from the original on 29 April 2015.
  8. ^ "Club América vs Montreal Impact Highlights". Youtube. 22 April 2015. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  9. ^ "Articles - Canadian Soccer News". Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  10. ^ "A Bleu-blanc-noir mosaic for Wednesday night". Montreal Impact. 25 April 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
  11. ^ "Final de Concachampions impone marca de asistencia". Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  12. ^ "Cuarteto arbitral de Honduras designado para el partido de ida de la Final de la SCCL" (in Spanish). UNCAF. April 19, 2015. Archived from the original on May 4, 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  13. ^ "Montreal Impact vs Club América Highlights". Youtube. 29 April 2015. Archived from the original on 24 February 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  14. ^ Gordon, Sean (29 April 2015). "Impact's CONCACAF Champions League trophy chances dashed after home defeat". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020.
  15. ^ "Cuarteto arbitral de Costa Rica designado para el partido final de la SCCL" (in Spanish). UNCAF. April 17, 2015. Archived from the original on May 4, 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
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