MIAMI, Florida – The 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf League has come to a close following Olimpia’s 5-4 aggregate victory over Alajuelense in the Final. The tournament delivered many memorable moments, yet here are the five that stood out the most.

Araujo’s late strike wins title

With the aggregate level at 4-4 and Wednesday’s Final second leg entering its final minutes, all of the momentum seemed to be on the side of hosts Alajuelense. Olimpia’s chances in the second were few and far between, however a free kick deep in the Alajuelense half offered a glimmer of hope. Gabriel Araujo, who was substituted into the game in the second half, struck a shot that took a slight deflection off the Alajuelense wall and left GK Leonel Moreira wrong-footed as the ball bounced into net. It was his first goal with Olimpia in the SCL and no doubt one that he and the rest of his teammates will always remember.

Alajuelense youth shine on big stage

Alajuelense youngsters Aaron Suarez and Doryan Rodriguez showed that they were unfazed by the big stage and bright lights of the SCL. The 20-year-old MF Suarez took home the tournament’s Youth Revelation Award after displaying his creative playmaking and goalscoring acumen in nine games in which he scored three goals, including a wondrous free kick in Wednesday night’s second leg. 19-year-old FW Rodriguez featured in seven games and was one of just two players to record a hat trick during the entire tournament when he notched a trio of goals in the Round of 16 first leg against Alianza of Panama. These two young players will certainly be ones to watch in next year’s 2023 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League.

Diriangen take out the champs

The Round of 16 also produced a history-making event for Nicaraguan club Diriangen, who eliminated 2021 SCL champions Comunicaciones of Guatemala. Not only did Diriangen record their first ever victory in an SCL match after four previous attempts in the 1-0 first leg win in Guatemala, but they also won their first SCL series in the 2-1 aggregate final. It was also the first time that a team from Nicaragua eliminated a Guatemalan club in the SCL.

Sanchez’s dramatic goal sends Olimpia to Final

Olimpia’s road to their second SCL crown certainly had some bumps along the way, including a very difficult semifinal against domestic rivals Motagua. After a 0-0 draw in the first leg and 87 minutes of scoreless football in the second leg, all signs pointed toward a penalty shootout between the two. That was until Carlos Sanchez made the run of his life, by collecting a ball on the left wing, charging toward goal and firing a left-footed shot that went screaming into the not of the net to earn Olimpia a dramatic 1-0 victory and a coveted place in the Final.

Verdes make history for Belize

Never before in the history of the SCL had a team from Belize won a series until Verdes achieved that feat in the Preliminary Round against Platense of El Salvador. The two teams battled to a 0-0 draw in the first leg before things opened up in the second leg in El Salvador. A pair of first half goals put Verdes in control, only to see Platense strike back with a pair of scores in the second stanza. However, with the away goal tiebreaker in place, Verdes were able to lock things down the rest of the way and make history for football in their nation.