BIO Giovanni Savarese is a former Venezuelan international who has played professionally on three continents, including in his native country, and now works as an analyst for the ESPN family of networks, which is a CONCACAF Champions League TV partner. He scored 10 goals in 30 games for the "Vinotinto" before retiring as a player in 2007. ARCHIVE: 4/9/12 | 3/16/12 | 10/1/11 | 9/16/11 | 8/26/11 | 4/22/11 | 2/25/11 | 10/22/10 | 9/24/10 | 8/27/10 | 8/7/10

It's uncommon in tournament play when the two generally considered best teams reach the final.

At least in the CONCACAF Champions League, Monterrey and Santos had the most points, two of the best offenses, two of the best defenses. They both sat among the leaders in the Mexican league. It was a matter of who would capitalize, and who would blink.

While Monterrey was the defending champion, and the favorite of many pundits especially after a comfortable 2-0 first leg win, Santos gave at least an equal showing at home in the second leg. It was
Neri Cardoso's late goal on Wednesday, however, that finally decided the clash for Monterrey and gave "Los Rayados" their second CONCACAF title in a row.

In the first leg, Monterrey was clearly superior to Santos and dominated the majority of the match. It was a magical night for the Chilean Humberto Suazo, whose two goals gave Monterrey a 2-0 advantage. It was a result that bolstered many predictions that Monterrey would retain the crown.

The second leg began as expected. Santos Laguna demonstrated the urgency to cut into Monterrey's lead. With Santos moving the ball quickly and well, Oribe Peralta nearly gave "Los Guerreros" lead in the sixth minute. Monterrey looked to slow the play, but were unable to do so against a superior Santos side.

From the beginning, Darwin Quintero troubled Rayados repeatedly, and Daniel Luduena moved closer to opening the score until he finally broke the Monterrey resolve in the third minute of first-half injury time.

The beginning of the second half mirrored the first 45 minutes. The locals continued to threaten and equalized the aggregate score in the 51st minute - with Quintero starting the sequence by beating two defenders and crossing a ball into the area, where Peralta eventually converted.

With the domination and now nearly 40 minutes to get a winner, Santos' confidence may have tipped over the edge. The goal came two minutes after Benjamin Galindo replaced Ludena with Herculez Gomez, and whether that substitution or the second goal changed the dynamic, Monterrey began to find life. In the 61st minute, Aldo De Nigris found space at the top of the 18 but put his shot into goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez.

With the insertion of Walter Ayovi for Angel Reyna in the 65th, Monterrey was able to mount a more sustained attack and create chances.

Santos appeared to weather the storm until Neri Cardozo combined with Ayovi just outside the Santos penalty area in the 82nd minute, and ended the hopes Santos and the nearly 26,000 that filled Estadio Nuevo Corona.

It was the blink, and the exploitation of it, that will send Monterrey back to Japan for another try at the Club World Cup.