MIAMI, Florida – The second leg matches of the 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf League semifinals wrapped up on Tuesday night and there were a number of memorable moments. Here are the five that stood out the most.
Alajuelense show character with comeback spirit
2020 champions Alajuelense are back in the Final for the second time in three years after their 2-2 draw with Real Espana, which earned them a 5-2 win on aggregate. The Costa Rican side could have easily bunkered in and elected to play defensive football for the entire 90 minutes, especially after going down 1-0, but Head Coach Fabian Coito’s side showed great character in fighting back. Twice they rallied from deficits, including being down late 2-1 in the second half, to earn the draw to guarantee that they will host the second leg of the Final.
Sanchez etches name into Olimpia lore
The Estadio Nacional Chelato Ucles has no doubt witnessed many a great spectacle in the illustrious and decorated history of CD Olimpia. One would be hard-pressed to find a more dramatic and thrilling moment than Carlos Sanchez’s winning goal for Olimpia against Motagua. After 177 minutes of scoreless football, it looked all but certain that the place in the Final would be decided by penalties, but instead, Sanchez took out his magic wand and fired in a sensational left-footed strike to set off a celebration unlike any other. Sanchez will forever be linked with that goal, as it came in one of the biggest spots imaginable and against his club’s biggest rival. That is how football heroes are made.
Motagua’s remarkable run comes to an end
Finding a better defensive performance over the course of six matches than Motagua’s 2022 SCL campaign would be hard to do. The three-time runners up recorded consecutive clean sheets in their 3-0 Round of 16 win over Cibao FC of the Dominican Republic and then back-to-back scoreless draws against Tauro of Panama in the quarterfinals before finally winning 5-4 in a penalty shootout. They made it five straight clean sheets after last week’s semifinal first leg with Olimpia and were just minutes away from registering a sixth before Carlos Sanchez struck for Olimpia’s winner. All told, it was a streak of 537 minutes without conceding, a remarkable achievement.
Rocca solidifies place atop scoring table
Ramiro Rocca’s SCL has come to an end, but the Argentine FW certainly went out with a bang in scoring a pair of goals in Real Espana’s exciting 2-2 draw with Alajuelense. Rocca finished the tournament with six goals in eight matches and is well-positioned to earn Top Scorer honors, with his nearest pursuer still alive in the tournament, Doryan Rodriguez of Alajuelense, three goals away. It should also be noted that he displayed his consistency by scoring in every round, finding a brace in the Preliminary Round against Real Esteli, followed by goals in the Round of 16 versus Cartagines and against Herediano in the quarterfinals prior to his two goals on Tuesday.
A two-time champion will be crowned
The Final is set. 2017 champions Olimpia will square off with 2020 champions Alajuelense, meaning that for the first time there will be a two-time champion in the SCL. It is fitting that one of these two clubs will lift the trophy. Olimpia set the standard by being inaugural winners in 2017, while Alajuelense currently have the longest unbeaten streak in SCL competition with nine wins and six draws in their last 15 matches. It should be a wonderful 180 minutes between two of Central America’s biggest clubs.