MIAMI, Florida – The second leg matches of the Round of 16 of the 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League wrapped up on Thursday with some notable achievements.
Here are five takeaways from Thursday’s matches
Atletico Pantoja’s historic goal
The 2021 SCCL may have come to an end on Thursday night for Atletico Pantoja of the Dominican Republic with their 3-1 defeat at Monterrey, but it produced a moment that will go down not just in club history, but Dominican Republic football history. Lisandro Cabrera’s goal in the second half was the first goal ever scored by Atletico Pantoja in the SCCL after three previous matches in which they were held scoreless. It was also the first goal ever scored by a Dominican Republic team in the SCCL. And it was arguably the best goal of the night, with some excellent quick-touch passing in midfield before Cabrera received a pass and found the back of the net.
Columbus confirm title credentials
Columbus carried a 4-0 advantage into Thursday’s second leg with Real Esteli of Nicaragua, but it was still important for the MLS side to emerge victorious, which they did with a late goal in a 1-0 victory. It was another strong defensive performance from Columbus and their second straight clean sheet offers further proof that their reigning MLS champions have strength from front to back, which makes them a title contender going into the later rounds.
Wright-Phillips strikes again in SCCL
At age 36 Bradley Wright-Phillips continues to display brilliance and finishing ability in front of goal. The Columbus FW scored the winning goal for Crew SC in the 86’ with a composed strike befitting the veteran player that is Wright-Phillips. The England-born striker now has five career SCCL goals in 16 matches and will be one to watch when Columbus take on Monterrey in the next round.
Monterrey in scoring stride
When Monterrey hit their scoring stride in the SCCL, that means trouble for their opponents. Rayados poured in six goals over the two games against Atletico Pantoja, including three in Thursday’s 3-1 win. In their last SCCL appearance in 2019 when they lifted the trophy, Monterrey’s attack got kick-started in the quarterfinal round with three goals versus Atlanta United before scoring a jaw-dropping 10 goals in the semifinal against Sporting Kansas City. Monterrey will be keen to see similar returns beginning in the quarterfinals against Columbus.
Five alive for MLS
For the first time since the inception of the Round of 16 format in 2018, five teams from MLS have reached the quarterfinal round. Previously, the most teams ever to advance to the final eight of the SCCL was four teams in the 2015-16, followed by four teams in the 2019 edition. That in itself is a strong statement, but the fact that three of the five MLS teams did not even concede a goal in their Round of 16 series suggests that the quarterfinal match-ups will be very competitive.
