# 2012 CONCACAF Champions League final

The 2012 CONCACAF Champions League final was the final of the 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League, the 4th edition of the CONCACAF Champions League under its current format, and overall the 47th 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 a two-leg aggregate format on 18 and 25 April 2012, between two Mexican teams, Monterrey and Santos Laguna. After winning the first leg 2–0, a 2–1 loss in the second leg gave Monterrey the title 3–2 on aggregate. As a result, Monterrey earned the right to represent CONCACAF at the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup, entering at the quarterfinal stage.

## Background

For the third time in four seasons of the CONCACAF Champions League, the final was played between two Mexican sides. This guaranteed a Mexican champion for the seventh straight year and 28th time since the confederation began staging the tournament in 1962 (including the tournament's predecessor, the CONCACAF Champions' Cup).
Monterrey were the defending champions, winning the title in 2010–11 after beating Real Salt Lake in the final. They defeated two Mexican sides in the knockout round.
Santos Laguna's previous best record was in 2008–09 when they reached the semifinals. Santos Laguna defeated two teams from Major League Soccer in the knockout round, scoring 6 goals in each of the two home victories.
Both teams qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League tournament by reaching the final of the Torneo Apertura 2010 in which Monterrey won with a score of 5–3.

## Road to the final

| Monterrey | Monterrey | Monterrey | Monterrey | Round | Santos Laguna | Santos Laguna | Santos Laguna | Santos Laguna |
| Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Preliminary round | Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Preliminary round | Olimpia | 4–3 | 3–1 (H) | 1–2 (A) |
| Opponent | Result | Result | Result | Group stage | Opponent | Result | Result | Result |
| Herediano | 5–0 (A) | 5–0 (A) | 5–0 (A) | Matchday 1 | Real España | 3–2 (H) | 3–2 (H) | 3–2 (H) |
| Seattle Sounders FC | 0–1 (H) | 0–1 (H) | 0–1 (H) | Matchday 2 | Isidro Metapán | 0–2 (A) | 0–2 (A) | 0–2 (A) |
| Comunicaciones | 0–1 (A) | 0–1 (A) | 0–1 (A) | Matchday 3 | Colorado Rapids | 4–1 (A) | 4–1 (A) | 4–1 (A) |
| Comunicaciones | 3–1 (H) | 3–1 (H) | 3–1 (H) | Matchday 4 | Isidro Metapán | 6–0 (H) | 6–0 (H) | 6–0 (H) |
| Herediano | 1–0 (H) | 1–0 (H) | 1–0 (H) | Matchday 5 | Real España | 1–1 (A) | 1–1 (A) | 1–1 (A) |
| Seattle Sounders FC | 2–1 (A) | 2–1 (A) | 2–1 (A) | Matchday 6 | Colorado Rapids | 2–0 (H) | 2–0 (H) | 2–0 (H) |
| Group D winner Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Monterrey 6402114+712 Seattle Sounders FC 6312107+310 Comunicaciones 6213813−57 Herediano 6204611−56 | Group D winner Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Monterrey 6402114+712 Seattle Sounders FC 6312107+310 Comunicaciones 6213813−57 Herediano 6204611−56 | Group D winner Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Monterrey 6402114+712 Seattle Sounders FC 6312107+310 Comunicaciones 6213813−57 Herediano 6204611−56 | Group D winner Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Monterrey 6402114+712 Seattle Sounders FC 6312107+310 Comunicaciones 6213813−57 Herediano 6204611−56 | Final standings | Group B winner Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Santos Laguna 6411166+1013 Isidro Metapán 63031015−59 Colorado Rapids 6213912−37 Real España 6123911−25 | Group B winner Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Santos Laguna 6411166+1013 Isidro Metapán 63031015−59 Colorado Rapids 6213912−37 Real España 6123911−25 | Group B winner Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Santos Laguna 6411166+1013 Isidro Metapán 63031015−59 Colorado Rapids 6213912−37 Real España 6123911−25 | Group B winner Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Santos Laguna 6411166+1013 Isidro Metapán 63031015−59 Colorado Rapids 6213912−37 Real España 6123911−25 |
| Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Championship round | Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Morelia | 7–2 | 3–1 (A) | 4–1 (H) | Quarterfinals | Seattle Sounders FC | 7–3 | 1–2 (A) | 6–1 (H) |
| UNAM | 4–1 | 3–0 (H) | 1–1 (A) | Semifinals | Toronto FC | 7–3 | 1–1 (A) | 6–2 (H) |

## Rules

Like other match-ups in the knockout round, the teams played two games, one at each team's home stadium. If the teams remained tied after 90 minutes of play during the 2nd leg, the away goals rule would be used, but not after a tie enters extra time, and so a tie would be decided by penalty shootout if the aggregate score is level after extra time.

## Final summary
### First leg

| Monterrey | Santos Laguna |
MONTERREY: :
| GK | 1 | Jonathan Orozco |
| RB | 2 | Severo Meza |
| CB | 15 | José María Basanta |
| CB | 21 | Hiram Mier |
| LB | 5 | Dárvin Chávez |
| CM | 8 | Luis Ernesto Pérez (c) |
| CM | 17 | Jesús Zavala | | 58' |
| CM | 10 | Ángel Reyna |
| RF | 7 | Humberto Suazo | 4' |
| CF | 9 | Aldo de Nigris | | 88' |
| LF | 18 | Neri Cardozo | 10' | 71' |
| Substitutes: |||
| FW | 13 | Darío Carreño | | 58' |
| MF | 20 | Walter Ayoví | | 71' |
| DF | 6 | Héctor Morales | | 88' |
| Manager: |||
| Víctor Manuel Vucetich ||||
SANTOS LAGUNA: :
| GK | 1 | Oswaldo Sánchez (c) |
| RB | 23 | Felipe Baloy | 40' |
| CB | 5 | Aarón Galindo |
| CB | 4 | Jorge Iván Estrada |
| LB | 20 | Osmar Mares | 73' |
| DM | 8 | Juan Pablo Rodríguez |
| CM | 6 | Marc Crosas | | 86' |
| CM | 37 | Cándido Ramírez | | 63' |
| FW | 16 | Herculez Gomez |
| FW | 3 | Carlos Quintero | | 83' |
| FW | 13 | Christian Suárez |
| Substitutes: |||
| DF | 28 | Carlos Adrián Morales | | 63' |
| MF | 10 | Daniel Ludueña | | 83' |
| MF | 17 | Rodolfo Salinas | 88' | 86' |
| Manager: |||
| Benjamín Galindo ||||
* Assistant referees:
* Marvin Torrentera (Mexico)
* Marcos Quintero (Mexico)
* Fourth official:
* Ricardo Arellano (Mexico)

### Second leg

| Santos Laguna | Monterrey |
SANTOS LAGUNA: :
| GK | 1 | Oswaldo Sánchez (c) |
| RB | 19 | Rafael Figueroa |
| CB | 5 | Aarón Galindo |
| CB | 4 | Jorge Iván Estrada |
| LB | 14 | César Ibáñez |
| DM | 8 | Juan Pablo Rodríguez |
| CM | 10 | Daniel Ludueña | 45+2' | 57' |
| CM | 17 | Rodolfo Salinas | | 84' |
| FW | 24 | Oribe Peralta |
| FW | 3 | Carlos Quintero |
| FW | 13 | Christian Suárez | | 73' |
| Substitutes: |||
| MF | 16 | Herculez Gómez | | 57' |
| DF | 28 | Carlos Adrián Morales | | 73' |
| MF | 10 | Cándido Ramírez | | 84' |
| Manager: |||
| Benjamín Galindo ||||
MONTERREY: :
| GK | 1 | Jonathan Orozco | 7' |
| RB | 2 | Severo Meza |
| CB | 15 | José María Basanta |
| CB | 21 | Hiram Mier |
| LB | 5 | Dárvin Chávez |
| CM | 8 | Luis Ernesto Pérez (c) | 90+1' |
| CM | 17 | Jesús Zavala | 33' |
| CM | 10 | Ángel Reyna | | 65' |
| RF | 19 | César Delgado | | 84' |
| CF | 9 | Aldo de Nigris | 5' | 87' |
| LF | 18 | Neri Cardozo |
| Substitutes: |||
| MF | 20 | Walter Ayoví | | 65' |
| FW | 13 | Darío Carreño | | 84' |
| DF | 6 | Héctor Morales | | 87' |
| Manager: |||
| Víctor Manuel Vucetich ||||
* Assistant referees:
* José Luis Camargo (Mexico)
* Alberto Morín (Mexico)
* Fourth official:
* Mauricio Morales (Mexico)