2014 CONCACAF Champions League final
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The 2014 CONCACAF Champions League final was the final of the 2013–14 CONCACAF Champions League, the 6th edition of the CONCACAF Champions League under its current format, and overall the 49th edition of the premium football club competition organized by CONCACAF, the regional governing body of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
The final was contested in two-legged home-and-away format between two Mexican teams, Cruz Azul and Toluca. The first leg was hosted by Cruz Azul at Estadio Azul in Mexico City on 15 April 2014, while the second leg was hosted by Toluca at Estadio Nemesio Díez in Toluca on 23 April 2014. The winner earned the right to represent CONCACAF at the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup, entering at the quarterfinal stage.
The first leg ended in a 0–0 draw, and the second leg ended in a 1–1 draw, giving Cruz Azul a record-setting sixth CONCACAF club title (and their first during the Champions League era) on the away goals rule.
Background
For the fifth time in six seasons of the CONCACAF Champions League, the final was played between two Mexican sides. This guaranteed a Mexican champion for the ninth straight year and 30th time since the confederation began staging the tournament in 1962 (including the tournament's predecessor, the CONCACAF Champions' Cup). Both clubs had won the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, with Cruz Azul winning five times (1969, 1970, 1971, 1996, 1997), a record they shared with América, and Toluca winning twice (1968, 2003). During the Champions League era, Cruz Azul had lost in two finals (2009, 2010), while Toluca's previous best record was reaching the semifinals.
Cruz Azul finished top of Group 3 ahead of Herediano and Valencia in the group stage, and were seeded second for the championship stage, where they eliminated Sporting Kansas City in the quarterfinals and Tijuana in the semifinals.
Toluca finished top of Group 6 ahead of Comunicaciones and Caledonia AIA in the group stage, and were seeded first for the championship stage, where they eliminated San Jose Earthquakes in the quarterfinals and Alajuelense in the semifinals.
Road to the final
Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).
| Mexico Cruz Azul | Round | Mexico Toluca | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Result | Group stage | Opponent | Result | |||||
| Bye | Matchday 1 | Trinidad and Tobago Caledonia AIA | 3–1 (H) | ||||||
| Costa Rica Herediano | 3–0 (H) | Matchday 2 | Guatemala Comunicaciones | 2–1 (A) | |||||
| Haiti Valencia | 2–1 (A) | Matchday 3 | Bye | ||||||
| Bye | Matchday 4 | Trinidad and Tobago Caledonia AIA | 5–1 (A) | ||||||
| Haiti Valencia | 3–0 (H) | Matchday 5 | Bye | ||||||
| Costa Rica Herediano | 2–1 (A) | Matchday 6 | Guatemala Comunicaciones | 5–1 (H) | |||||
| Group 3 winner Teamvte Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification Mexico Cruz Azul 4 4 0 0 10 2 +8 12 Advance to championship stage Costa Rica Herediano 4 2 0 2 11 8 +3 6 Haiti Valencia 4 0 0 4 4 15 −11 0Source: [citation needed] | Final standings | Group 6 winner Teamvte Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification Mexico Toluca 4 4 0 0 15 4 +11 12 Advance to championship stage Guatemala Comunicaciones 4 2 0 2 7 7 0 6 Trinidad and Tobago Caledonia AIA 4 0 0 4 2 13 −11 0Source: [citation needed] | |||||||
| Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| Mexico Cruz Azul | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | +8 | 12 | Advance to championship stage |
| Costa Rica Herediano | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 8 | +3 | 6 | |
| Haiti Valencia | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 15 | −11 | 0 | |
| Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| Mexico Toluca | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 4 | +11 | 12 | Advance to championship stage |
| Guatemala Comunicaciones | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 6 | |
| Trinidad and Tobago Caledonia AIA | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 13 | −11 | 0 | |
| Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Championship stage | Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | |
| United States Sporting Kansas City | 5–2 | 0–1 (A) | 5–1 (H) | Quarterfinals | United States San Jose Earthquakes | 2–2 (5–4 p) | 1–1 (A) | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (H) | |
| Mexico Tijuana | 2–1 | 0–1 (A) | 2–0 (H) | Semifinals | Costa Rica Alajuelense | 3–0 | 1–0 (A) | 2–0 (H) |
Rules
The final was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. The away goals rule was used if the aggregate score was level after normal time of the second leg, but not after extra time, and so the final was decided by penalty shoot-out if the aggregate score was level after extra time of the second leg.
Matches
First leg
| Cruz Azul | Toluca |
| Assistant referees: José Luis Camargo (Mexico) Alberto Morín (Mexico) Fourth official: César Ramos (Mexico) |
Second leg
| Toluca | Cruz Azul |
| Assistant referees: Marvin Torrentera (Mexico) Marcos Quintero (Mexico) Fourth official: Fernando Guerrero (Mexico) |
External links
- , CONCACAF.com