2015 Concacaf Champions League Final

2015 CONCACAF Champions League final

Event	2014–15 CONCACAF Champions League
América Montreal Impact 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
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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 the Montreal Impact at Olympic Stadium in Montreal on April 29, 2015. The winner earned the right to represent CONCACAF at the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup, entering at the quarterfinal stage.

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

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.

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).

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 v t e 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 v t e 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)

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.

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.

April 22, 2015

20:00 UTC−5

América	1–1	Montreal Impact
Peralta   88'	Report	Piatti   16'

Estadio Azteca, Mexico City

Attendance: 56,783

Referee: Héctor Rodríguez (Honduras)

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

 

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.

April 29, 2015

20:00 UTC−4

Montreal Impact	2–4	América
Romero   8' McInerney   88'	Report	Benedetto   50', 67', 81' Peralta   65'

Olympic Stadium, Montreal

Attendance: 61,004

Referee: Henry Bejarano (Costa Rica)

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