|
Game stats: 
SANDY, Utah - Humberto Suazo scored six seconds into first-half injury time and gave Monterrey the CONCACAF Champions League title with a 1-0 victory over Real Salt Lake Wednesday night.
It was the sixth straight CONCACAF club title for Mexico and 27th overall, sending "Los Rayados" to the Club World Cup in Japan in December.
Suazo twice exchanged passes with Sergio Santana inside the 18, taking one touch with his right foot before finishing with his left.
The result completed a 3-2 aggregate victory and was the first win in eight games for Monterrey. It was the first loss for Real Salt Lake at home in nearly two years, snapping a 34-game unbeaten streak.
Monterrey, playing its eighth match in 24 days, was without three regulars, Aldo De Nigris and Jesus Zavala due to accumulated yellow cards and Luis Perez because of injury.
Conversely, Real Salt Lake, playing only its second game in eight days, had to do without captain Kyle Beckerman, who drew his second yellow in last week's first-leg 2-2 draw.
Unlike the heat and humidity of Monterrey, Wednesday's game kicked off at a chilly 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 Celsius), a day after snow flurries were spotted in Salt Lake.
Real Salt Lake had the better possession and more chances in the first half, as Monterrey kept nine players behind the ball and seemed content to counter.
Fabian Espindola turned to put a week shot on keeper Jonathan Orozco in the sixth minute and Salt Lake continued to play in Monterrey's half until the 29th minute when RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando had to come off his line to intercept Suazo's free kick from a charging Jose Maria Basanta.
Monterrey was able to mount some possession but really didn't test Rimando until Suazo's goal.
Salt Lake continued to have the possession in the second half and had its best chance when Alvaro Saborio sharply headed Javier Morales' corner kick into Orozco's hands in the 67th.
It surrounded the Monterrey goal for the final 20 minutes, repeatedly serving balls into the box only to see them cleared and watch Rayados manager Victor Manuel Vucetich gesture from the bench to keep his team composed.
Orozco had to tip away a bounding ball in the 94th minute to preserve the victory.
Monterrey completed the Champions League undefeated, capping its 12-game run with a ninth victory.
Salt Lake, playing before a capacity home crowd of 20,000, was trying to become the first non-Mexican team to win the Champions League and the only the third U.S. side to win the confederation crown - the first since Los Angeles in 2000.
