The 2016 CONCACAF Champions League final was the final of the 2015–16 CONCACAF Champions League, the eighth edition of the CONCACAF Champions League under its current format, and overall the 51st 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 Mexican teams Tigres UANL and América. The first leg was hosted by Tigres at Estadio Universitario in San Nicolás de los Garza on 20 April 2016, while the second leg was hosted by América at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on 27 April 2016. The winner earned the right to represent CONCACAF at the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup, entering at the quarterfinal stage.
América defeated Tigres UANL 4–1 on aggregate to win their second consecutive and a record-breaking seventh overall CONCACAF club title.
Background For the sixth time in eight seasons of the CONCACAF Champions League, the final was played between two Mexican sides. This guaranteed a Mexican champion for the eleventh straight year and 32nd time since the confederation began staging the tournament in 1962 (including the tournament's predecessor, the CONCACAF Champions' Cup).
América were the defending champions and also the record holders of six CONCACAF club titles (1977, 1987, 1990, 1992, 2006, 2014–15), which they achieved in last year's final, where they beat the Montreal Impact.
This was the first CONCACAF club final for Tigres, although they had played in a continental club final before, where as a guest team they lost in last year's Copa Libertadores final to River Plate.
Road to the final
Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).
Tigres UANLRound AméricaOpponentResultGroup stageOpponentResultByeMatchday 1 Motagua4–0 (H) Isidro Metapán2–1 (H)Matchday 2 Walter Ferretti1–0 (H) Herediano1–1 (A)Matchday 3ByeByeMatchday 4 Walter Ferretti3–1 (A) Isidro Metapán2–1 (A)Matchday 5Bye Herediano0–0 (H)Matchday 6 Motagua1–1 (A)Group B winnersFinal standingsGroup E winnersOpponentAgg.1st leg2nd legKnockout stageOpponentAgg.1st leg2nd legSeed 6SeedingSeed 1 Real Salt Lake3–12–0 (H)1–1 (A)Quarter-finals Seattle Sounders FC5–32–2 (A)3–1 (H) Querétaro2–00–0 (A)2–0 (H)Semi-finals Santos Laguna1–00–0 (A)1–0 (H)
Rules The final was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis, with the higher-seeded team hosting the second leg. The away goals rule would be used if the aggregate score was level after normal time of the second leg, but not after extra time, and so the final would be decided by penalty shoot-out if the aggregate score was level after extra time of the second leg.
Matches First leg
Summary The first leg was held on 20 April at Estadio Universitario in San Nicolás de los Garza.
In the 32nd minute, Tigres had a great chance to open the scoring, but Javier Aquino sent a one on one chance flying over the crossbar. In the 49th minute, Darío Benedetto opened the scoring with a header from close range following a lobbed pass from Osvaldo Martínez. Seven minutes later, Andrés Andrade finished into an empty net from about 40 yards out, but the goal was disallowed for offside. This was a controversial decision because the goalkeeper had rushed out to the halfway line, and replays showed Andrade was inches behind the ball and the goalkeeper when he received it. In the 92nd minute, Oswaldo Martinez scored from long range into the bottom left corner after a counter attack.
Details
GK 1 Nahuel Guzmán RB 2 Israel Jiménez CB 4 Hugo Ayala CB 3 Juninho (c) LB 24 José Rivas RM 25 Jürgen Damm CM 19 Guido Pizarro CM 18 José Francisco Torres LM 20 Javier Aquino CF 9 Rafael Sóbis CF 10 André-Pierre GignacSubstitutions: GK 22 Enrique Palos DF 6 Jorge Torres Nilo DF 13 Antonio Briseño MF 8 Lucas Zelarrayán MF 11 Damián Álvarez MF 15 Manuel Viniegra FW 17 Héctor Mancilla Manager: Ricardo Ferretti GK 1 Hugo González RB 17 Ventura Alvarado CB 2 Paolo Goltz CB 12 Pablo Aguilar LB 6 Miguel Samudio RM 14 Rubens Sambueza (c) CM 21 José Guerrero CM 10 Osvaldo Martínez LM 8 Andrés Andrade CF 9 Darío Benedetto CF 24 Oribe Peralta Substitutions: GK 39 Jonathan León DF 3 Gil Burón DF 4 Erik Pimentel DF 15 Osmar Mares MF 26 Francisco Rivera MF 33 Daniel Vázquez FW 32 Alejandro Díaz Manager: Ignacio Ambríz
Assistant referees: José Luis Camargo (Mexico) Alberto Morin (Mexico) Fourth official: César Ramos (Mexico)
Second leg
Summary The second leg was played at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on 27 April.
In the 38th minute, André-Pierre Gignac scored the first goal of the game with a close range finish into the bottom left corner. In the 67th minute, Michael Arroyo scored from long range into the bottom right, to level the scores, just one minute after being subbed on. In the 87th minute, Oswaldo Martinez drilled a penalty, into the top left corner, after Hugo Ayala fouled Miguel Samudio in the box.
Details América won 4–1 on aggregate.
GK 1 Hugo González RB 22 Paul Aguilar CB 2 Paolo Goltz CB 12 Pablo Aguilar LB 6 Miguel Samudio CM 14 Rubens Sambueza (c) CM 10 Osvaldo Martínez CM 8 Andrés Andrade RF 31 Darwin Quintero CF 9 Darío Benedetto LF 24 Oribe PeraltaSubstitutions: GK 39 Jonathan León DF 4 Erik Pimentel DF 15 Osmar Mares DF 17 Ventura Alvarado MF 21 José Daniel Guerrero MF 26 Francisco Rivera FW 11 Michael Arroyo Manager: Ignacio Ambríz GK 1 Nahuel Guzmán RB 2 Israel Jiménez CB 4 Hugo Ayala CB 3 Juninho (c) LB 6 Jorge Torres Nilo CM 29 Jesús Dueñas CM 19 Guido Pizarro RW 20 Javier Aquino AM 9 Rafael Sóbis LW 11 Damián Álvarez CF 10 André-Pierre Gignac Substitutions: GK 22 Enrique Palos DF 13 Antonio Briseño DF 24 José Rivas MF 8 Lucas Zelarrayán MF 15 Manuel Viniegra MF 25 Jürgen Damm FW 5 Fernando Fernández Manager: Ricardo Ferretti
Assistant referees: Juan Rangel (Mexico) Andres Hernández (Mexico) Fourth official: Luis Enrique Santander (Mexico)
References
External links CONCACAF Champions League , CONCACAF.com