Club America's Oribe Peralta (center, left) and Carlos Darwin Quintero (center, right) captured their first Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League crown after falling short in previous attempts with Santos. (Photo: Mexsport)
MONTREAL, Canada – Indeed, the third time proved to be the charm for a pair of Club America teammates, each of whom fell at the last stage in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League twice before.
Both Oribe Peralta and Carlos Darwin Quintero were part of the Santos sides that were left without winners’ medals after being thwarted by Monterrey in the 2011/12 and 2012/13 finals.
“For me, this is something very special because twice I was denied it and today I said to Darwin in our hotel room that we could not let this opportunity get past us,” said Peralta, the 2011/12 SCCL’s Golden Ball winner, after Wednesday’s decider at the Stade Olympique. “We had already let two go by and we had to have a perfect game in order to win.”
Peralta scored in both legs of the 2014/15 final against the Impact de Montreal, giving him 19 career SCCL goals and lifting him to second on the all-time list.
He was pleased with the Aguilas’ 4-2 win in the second leg at Montreal, which gave the Mexican power a 5-3 aggregate triumph and its record-equaling sixth CONCACAF club title.
“Today, the team showed the side that coach [Gustavo] Matosas wants,” expressed Peralta, 31. “It’s praiseworthy because we are a great team and we showed it on the field. For that we are in the Club World Cup.”
Even after falling behind 1-0 early in the first half, Peralta said there was no panic in the squad.
“We planned for all the possible scenarios, what could happen and they allowed us to set the pace,” the 2013 CONCACAF Player of the Year finished. “We knew that it was only a goal that we had to find and it was the great work of the team that it happened.”
