# 2014 CONCACAF Champions League final

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).
| Cruz Azul | Cruz Azul | Cruz Azul | Cruz Azul | Round | Toluca | Toluca | Toluca | Toluca |
| Opponent | Result | Result | Result | Group stage | Opponent | Result | Result | Result |
| Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Matchday 1 | Caledonia AIA | 3–1 (H) | 3–1 (H) | 3–1 (H) |
| Herediano | 3–0 (H) | 3–0 (H) | 3–0 (H) | Matchday 2 | Comunicaciones | 2–1 (A) | 2–1 (A) | 2–1 (A) |
| Valencia | 2–1 (A) | 2–1 (A) | 2–1 (A) | Matchday 3 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Matchday 4 | Caledonia AIA | 5–1 (A) | 5–1 (A) | 5–1 (A) |
| Valencia | 3–0 (H) | 3–0 (H) | 3–0 (H) | Matchday 5 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| Herediano | 2–1 (A) | 2–1 (A) | 2–1 (A) | Matchday 6 | Comunicaciones | 5–1 (H) | 5–1 (H) | 5–1 (H) |
| Group 3 winner Teamvte Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Cruz Azul 4 4 0 0 10 2 +8 12 Herediano 4 2 0 2 11 8 +3 6 Valencia 4 0 0 4 4 15 −11 0 Source: | Group 3 winner Teamvte Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Cruz Azul 4 4 0 0 10 2 +8 12 Herediano 4 2 0 2 11 8 +3 6 Valencia 4 0 0 4 4 15 −11 0 Source: | Group 3 winner Teamvte Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Cruz Azul 4 4 0 0 10 2 +8 12 Herediano 4 2 0 2 11 8 +3 6 Valencia 4 0 0 4 4 15 −11 0 Source: | Group 3 winner Teamvte Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Cruz Azul 4 4 0 0 10 2 +8 12 Herediano 4 2 0 2 11 8 +3 6 Valencia 4 0 0 4 4 15 −11 0 Source: | Final standings | Group 6 winner Teamvte Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Toluca 4 4 0 0 15 4 +11 12 Comunicaciones 4 2 0 2 7 7 0 6 Caledonia AIA 4 0 0 4 2 13 −11 0 Source: | Group 6 winner Teamvte Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Toluca 4 4 0 0 15 4 +11 12 Comunicaciones 4 2 0 2 7 7 0 6 Caledonia AIA 4 0 0 4 2 13 −11 0 Source: | Group 6 winner Teamvte Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Toluca 4 4 0 0 15 4 +11 12 Comunicaciones 4 2 0 2 7 7 0 6 Caledonia AIA 4 0 0 4 2 13 −11 0 Source: | Group 6 winner Teamvte Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Toluca 4 4 0 0 15 4 +11 12 Comunicaciones 4 2 0 2 7 7 0 6 Caledonia AIA 4 0 0 4 2 13 −11 0 Source: |
| Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Championship stage | Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Sporting Kansas City | 5–2 | 0–1 (A) | 5–1 (H) | Quarterfinals | San Jose Earthquakes | 2–2 (5–4 p) | 1–1 (A) | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (H) |
| Tijuana | 2–1 | 0–1 (A) | 2–0 (H) | Semifinals | 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 |
| GK | 12 | Guillermo Allison |
| DF | 5 | Alejandro Castro |
| DF | 4 | Julio Domínguez |
| DF | 15 | Gerardo Flores |
| DF | 57 | Emanuel Loeschbor |
| DF | 28 | Rogelio Chávez |
| MF | 6 | Gerardo Torrado (c) | 40' |
| MF | 8 | Marco Fabián |
| MF | 33 | Mauro Fórmica | | 66' |
| FW | 9 | Mariano Pavone | | 67' |
| FW | 11 | Joao Rojas | | 81' |
| Substitutions: ||
| GK | 37 | Javier Caso |
| DF | 55 | David Stringel |
| DF | 53 | Horacio Cervantes |
| MF | 7 | Pablo Barrera | | 81' |
| MF | 10 | Christian Giménez | | 67' |
| MF | 20 | Achille Emaná | | 66' |
| MF | 58 | Héctor Gutiérrez |
| Manager: ||
| Luis Fernando Tena ||
| GK | 1 | Alfredo Talavera |
| DF | 2 | Francisco Gamboa |
| DF | 6 | Miguel Ponce | 31' |
| DF | 8 | Aarón Galindo |
| DF | 4 | Paulo da Silva (c) |
| MF | 5 | Wilson Mathías |
| MF | 15 | Antonio Ríos | 71' |
| MF | 11 | Carlos Esquivel | | 90+2' |
| MF | 17 | Juan Manuel Salgueiro | | 86' |
| FW | 27 | Isaác Brizuela | 84' | 84' |
| FW | 7 | Pablo Velázquez | 36' |
| Substitutions: ||
| GK | 22 | César Lozano |
| DF | 20 | Miguel Almazán |
| DF | 14 | Édgar Dueñas |
| MF | 16 | Óscar Rojas | | 90+2' |
| MF | 18 | Emilio Orrantía |
| FW | 23 | Édgar Benítez | | 84' |
| FW | 29 | Raúl Nava | | 86' |
| Manager: ||
| José Cardozo ||
* Assistant referees:
* José Luis Camargo (Mexico)
* Alberto Morín (Mexico)
* Fourth official:
* César Ramos (Mexico)

### Second leg

| Toluca | Cruz Azul |
| GK | 1 | Alfredo Talavera |
| DF | 4 | Paulo da Silva (c) |
| DF | 6 | Miguel Ponce | 29' |
| DF | 8 | Aarón Galindo | 87' |
| MF | 16 | Óscar Rojas | | 78' |
| MF | 5 | Wilson Mathías |
| MF | 15 | Antonio Ríos | 55' |
| MF | 11 | Carlos Esquivel | | 53' |
| MF | 17 | Juan Manuel Salgueiro | | 46' |
| FW | 27 | Isaác Brizuela |
| FW | 7 | Pablo Velázquez |
| Substitutions: ||
| GK | 22 | César Lozano |
| DF | 14 | Édgar Dueñas |
| MF | 2 | Francisco Gamboa | | 78' |
| MF | 19 | Edy Brambila |
| MF | 21 | Gabriel Velasco |
| FW | 23 | Édgar Benítez | | 53' |
| FW | 29 | Raúl Nava | | 46' |
| Manager: ||
| José Cardozo ||
| GK | 1 | José de Jesús Corona |
| DF | 4 | Julio Domínguez |
| DF | 15 | Gerardo Flores |
| DF | 57 | Emanuel Loeschbor |
| DF | 28 | Rogelio Chávez |
| MF | 5 | Alejandro Castro | 68' |
| MF | 6 | Gerardo Torrado (c) |
| MF | 8 | Marco Fabián | | 89' |
| MF | 33 | Mauro Fórmica | | 67' |
| FW | 11 | Joao Rojas | 58' | 71' |
| FW | 9 | Mariano Pavone |
| Substitutions: ||
| GK | 12 | Guillermo Allison |
| DF | 14 | Luis Amaranto Perea | 72' | 71' |
| DF | 53 | Horacio Cervantes | | 89' |
| MF | 7 | Pablo Barrera |
| MF | 10 | Christian Giménez | | 67' |
| MF | 18 | Sergio Nápoles |
| MF | 70 | Ismael Valadéz |
| Manager: ||
| Luis Fernando Tena ||
* Assistant referees:
* Marvin Torrentera (Mexico)
* Marcos Quintero (Mexico)
* Fourth official:
* Fernando Guerrero (Mexico)