Action from the 2015/16 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League final, first leg between host Tigres (right) and Club America. (Photo: Mexsport)
With Tigres and Pachuca making final preparations ahead of Tuesday’s Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League final, first leg, CONCACAF.com scoured the record books for the most interesting facts, stats and figures.
- Tigres-Pachuca is the seventh all-Mexican final in nine SCCL editions.
- Tigres is fifth different team to reach consecutive SCCL finals … Club America (2014/15, 2015/16); Santos (2011/12, 2012/13); Monterrey (2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13); Cruz Azul (2008/09, 2009/10).
- First time since 2012/13 edition (Monterrey-Santos) that neither finalist is making its SCCL final debut.
- Last year, Tigres became the lowest-scoring team to reach a SCCL final, netting 10 goals through the semifinals…this year, it has netted 17 times ahead of the final.
- Santos is the highest-scoring team to reach a SCCL final, striking for 34 goals through the 2011/12 semifinals.
- Five Mexican teams have combined to win the eight all-time SCCL titles: Monterrey-3 (2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13); Club America-2 (2014/15, 2015/16); Atlante-1 (2008/09); Cruz Azul-1 (2013/14); Pachuca-1 (2009/10).
- In eight previous SCCL final, first-leg matches: 2 home wins … 2 away wins … 4 draws. Of the four teams that won, three went on to lift the trophy – 2015/16: Club America (2-0 away win v Tigres) … 2011/12: Monterrey (2-0 home win v Santos, agg: 3-2) … 2008/09: Atlante (2-0 away win v Cruz Azul, agg: 2-0).
- Cruz Azul is the only team to win a SCCL final, first-leg match and not capture the title … (2009/10 v Pachuca) 2-1 home win, 0-1 away loss … Pachuca earns title on away-goals rule.
- The team that hosted the SCCL final, first-leg match has won the title four times.
- Monterrey is the only team to appear in three consecutive SCCL finals (2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13).
- The Impact de Montreal (2014/15 v Club America … agg: 3-5) and Real Salt Lake (2010/11 v Monterrey … agg: 2-3) are the only non-Mexican sides to play in the SCCL final.
- The largest attended SCCL final was 61,004 on April 29, 2015, when the host Impact de Montreal lost 2-4 to Club America in the second leg at the Stade Olympique.
- Fernando Navarro (17') scored the first-ever goal in a SCCL final as Atlante defeated host Cruz Azul, 2-0, on April 22, 2009.
- No team has scored more than 2 goals in the first leg of a SCCL final … six teams have scored two goals in the first leg of a SCCL final, with Monterrey being the only side to do it twice.
- Monterrey and Club America share record for the most goals scored in a SCCL final game. Monterrey: 4-2 home win v Santos in 2012/13 second leg (Aldo de Nigris 60’, 86’; Neri Cardozo 83’; Humberto Suazo 90’+2) … Club America: 4-2 away win v Impact de Montreal (Dario Benedetto 50’, 67’, 81’; Oribe Peralta 65’)
- Prior to Club America defeating host Tigres, 2-0, in the first leg of last year’s SCCL final, the previous three openers ended in a draw.
- The highest scoring SCCL final, first-leg game (4 total goals) came on April 20, 2011, when host Monterrey (Aldo de Nigris 18'; Humberto Suazo 62' pen) and Real Salt Lake (Nate Borchers 35'; Javier Morales 89') played to a 2-2 draw.
- Of the 37 goals scored in the 16 SCCL final games, 13 were in the 1st half and 24 in the 2nd half.
- 23 different players have scored goals in SCCL finals.
- Humberto Suazo (Monterrey) is the SCCL final’s all-time leading scorer with 5 goals.
- Humberto Suazo (Monterrey) is the only player to score in three different editions of the SCCL final.
- Humberto Suazo (Monterrey) is the only player to score in four different SCCL final games.
- Edgar Benitez (2009/10: for Pachuca v Cruz Azul; 2013/14: for Toluca v Cruz Azul) and Oribe Peralta (2011/12: for Santos v Monterrey; 2014/15: for Club America v Impact de Montreal) are the only players to score for 2 different teams in a SCCL final.
- Club America’s Dario Benedetto holds record for most goals scored by a player in a single SCCL final game (3…all in second half of 4-2 away win v Impact de Montreal on April 8, 2015)
- In addition to Dario Benedetto, Monterrey’s Aldo de Nigris and Humberto Suazo are the only other players to score multiple goals in a single SCCL final game (de Nigris: 2 v Santos on May 1, 2013, in a 4-2 win; Suazo: 2 v Santos on April 18, 2012, in a 2-0 win).
- Santos (2011/12 v Monterrey, 2-3 on aggregate; 2012/13 v Monterrey, 2-4 on aggregate) and Cruz Azul (2008/09 v Atlante, 0-2 on aggregate; 2009/10 v Pachuca, away-goals rule after 2-2 on aggregate) are the only teams to lose in 2 SCCL finals.
