MIAMI. - The start of the 2023 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League is just around the corner in which 16 teams will be pursuing the dream of being crowned club champions of Concacaf.
But no title-winning pursuit can happen without a player who is capable of changing a game all on his own. With that in mind, here are the 16 Game-Changers to watch in this year’s SCCL.
Roberto Moreira, Motagua: The 35-year-old attacker has ample experience in Concacaf, with four SCCL matches under his belt and 28 in the Scotiabank Concacaf League, all with Motagua. A three-time runner-up in the SCL, Moreira has eight career Concacaf goals, proof that he can strike at a moment’s notice and swing momentum to his team.
Aldo Rocha, Atlas: The 30-year-old MF was an important part of Atlas’ back-to-back Liga MX title-winning campaigns in the 2021 Apertura and 2022 Clausura, during which he was named the league’s best defensive midfielder. He also played in four SCCL games with Club Leon in the 2014-15 edition.
Daniel Gazdag, Philadelphia Union: The Union finished atop the MLS Eastern Conference and reached MLS Cup in 2022 thanks in large part to the 26-year-old attacking midfielder. In 34 MLS games last season, he scored an eye-popping 22 goals and collected 10 assists. Gazdag also appeared in two SCCL matches in Philadelphia’s semifinal finish in 2021.
Celso Borges, Alajuelense: It would be impossible to find the time and space to list all the accolades accumulated by the magisterial 34-year-old Costa Rican midfielder, but in Concacaf club play he has always delivered. Borges appeared in the first edition of the SCCL in 2008-09 with Deportivo Saprissa and then helped Alajuelense qualify for the 2023 tournament by playing in nine games in the 2022 SCL and scoring one of the best goals of the tournament in the semifinal versus Real Espana.
Victor Davila, Club Leon: Ever since he arrived to Club Leon in 2020, he has been a top performer with 25 goals in 77 games. Having played in six previous SCCL matches, the 25-year-old FW will be eager to open his goalscoring account. He also fills a playmaking role, dishing out four assists in Liga MX last year.
Andre-Pierre Gignac, Tigres: Gignac already solidified himself as an SCCL legend during Tigres’ run to the 2020 SCCL title when he finished the tournament as the top scorer (6 goals) and won the Best Player Award for his efforts. The 37-year-old Frenchman has 14 career SCCL goals, ranking him eighth on the all-time list.
Sebastian Driussi, Austin FC: The Argentine attacker will get his first taste of SCCL action in Austin FC’s maiden voyage in Concacaf, but his pedigree is already well known after finishing the 2022 MLS season as an MVP finalist for scoring 22 goals and contributing seven assists.
Elyvens Dejean, Violette AC: 1984 Concacaf champions Violette of Haiti won their first ever Flow Caribbean Club Championship in 2022 to qualify for the 2023 SCCL thanks in part to Dejean. The midfielder finished the tournament with two goals in attack for the champions and also coolly converted his penalty in Violette’s 4-3 shootout win over Cibao of the Dominican Republic in the Final.
Omar Brownee, Tauro: There is just something about the bright lights of Concacaf nights that ignites Brownee. The Panamanian FW introduced himself to the region by scoring to help Independiente eliminate 2018 SCCL finalists Toronto FC in the 2019 Round of 16. Overall, he has five goals in 16 Concacaf games (SCCL and SCL) for Independiente, San Carlos (CRC) and Forge (CAN).
Facundo Torres, Orlando City: Torres will also see his first bit of action in the SCCL, but the 22-year-old Uruguayan playmaker has already shown he comes through in a big spot. Torres bagged a brace in the 2022 US Open Cup Final in Orlando City’s 3-0 win over Sacramento Republic. He also had 10 goals and nine assists during the 2022 MLS season.
Luis Chavez, Pachuca: At the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, everyone witnessed what Chavez could do, as the Mexico MF’s free kick goal against Saudi Arabia went down as the most powerful shot of the tournament. Chavez has been pulling the strings in Liga MX for years now, first with Club Tijuana and now at Pachuca, where he has 12 goals in 105 league matches.
Ryan Gauld, Vancouver Whitecaps: Winner of the George Gross Memorial Trophy as the tournament’s best player, Gauld led the Vancouver Whitecaps to the 2022 Canadian Championship to qualify for the 2022 SCCL. The attacking midfielder also starred in MLS during the 2022 season, with eight goals and nine assists in 28 games.
Ramiro Rocca, Real Espana: Rocca’s goalscoring acumen was on display in the 2022 SCL as he finished as the tournament’s top scorer with six goals in eight games. Once Rocca finds his scoring stride, he can be unstoppable. He had 22 goals in 21 games with Guatemalan club Municipal in 2020-21 and then 23 goals in 35 games with Real Espana in 2021-22.
Carlos Vela, Los Angeles FC: Vela put forth a breathtaking performance in the 2020 SCCL, scoring a brace in LAFC’s 3-2 aggregate win over Club Leon in the Round of 16, followed by a goal in the quarterfinals versus Cruz Azul and another brace in the semifinal 2-1 win over Club America. He enjoyed another top season in MLS in 2022, with 12 goals and 11 assists to lead LAFC to their first MLS Cup crown.
Jose Pinto, Olimpia: The 25-year-old Pinto showed why he has emerged as one of the top players at the legendary Honduran club after his performance in the 2022 SCL. Pinto’s two goals in the tournament came in each leg of the Final versus Alajuelense, tilting the balance toward his side. Defenses will have to be on their toes against this powerful finisher.
Marvin Monterroza, Alianza: Monterroza is another player who shines bright on Concacaf nights. The 31-year-old patrols the middle of the park like no other and has a whopping 29 games of Concacaf experience under his belt, with four goals. Alianza came within a whisker of beating eventual champions Monterrey and Tigres in back-to-back SCCL Rounds of 16 in 2019 and 2020, respectively, in large part due to Monterroza’s performances.
