(ABOVE) Alajuelense's Ronald Matarrita in Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League action at the Impact de Montreal on March 18, 2015.
ALAJUELA, Costa Rica – With 2014/15 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League (SCCL) semifinal, second leg action set to start Tuesday, Alajuelense and Club America will have to make history by overcoming two- and three-goal deficits, respectively, in order to reach the final.
What’s required of them to enter into CONCACAF lore?
Discover that, plus other SCCL semifinal facts and figures, below:
OVERCOMING DEFICITS & THE ODDS
In 12 all-time contested semifinals, three teams have lost the first leg by two goals or more. From that trio, only one advanced to the final: Cruz Azul in 2008/09…and it actually happened on April 7, 2009. Remarkably, Alajuelense will host the Impact de Montreal in a bid to overturn a two-goal shortfall on that same date in this year’s edition.
Also of note, on all three occasions, it was the away team that lost the first leg.
On Wednesday, Club America would be the first team to secure a place in the final after losing the semifinal opener by three goals.
2008/09
FIRST LEG
March 17, 2009 at Bayamon, Puerto Rico - Estadio Juan Ramon Loubriel (Att: 12,751)
Puerto Rico Islanders 2 (Sandy Gbandi 4’; Nicholas Addlery 36’)
Cruz Azul 0
SECOND LEG
April 7, 2009 at Mexico City, Mexico - Estadio Azul (Att: 6,928)
Cruz Azul 3 (Pablo Zeballos 44’; Javier Orozco 85’; Cesar Villaluz 99’)
Puerto Rico Islanders 1 (Sandy Gbandi 92’)
3-3 on aggregate after extra time, Cruz Azul advances 4-2 on penalty kicks
2010/11
FIRST LEG
March 15, 2011 at Sandy, Utah, USA – Rio Tinto Stadium (Att: 16,668)
Real Salt Lake 2 (Alvaro Saborio 9’; Fabian Espindola 57’)
Saprissa 0
SECOND LEG
April 5, 2011 at Tibas, San Jose, Costa Rica – Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Ayma (Att: 21,065)
Saprissa 2 (Luis Diego Cordero 46’; Alonso Solis 87’ pen)
Real Salt Lake 1 (Jamison Olave 60’)
Real Salt Lake advances 3-2 on aggregate
2011/12
FIRST LEG
March 28, 2012 at Monterrey, Mexico – Estadio Tecnológico (Att: 26,716)
Monterrey 3 (Miguel Morales 7’; Aldo De Nigris 60’, 72’)
Pumas 0
SECOND LEG
April 4, 2012 at Torreon, Mexico – Estadio Corona (Att: 26,843)
Santos 6 (Herculez Gomez 31’, 45’+2; Juan Pablo Rodriguez 56’ pen, 64’ pen; Oribe Peralta 66’; Daniel Ludueña 90’+2)
Toronto FC 2 (Joao Plata 15’, 43’)
Santos advances 7-3 on aggregate
April 4, 2012 at Mexico City, Mexico – Estadio Olímpico Universitario (Att: 7,300)
Pumas 1 (Jose Antonio Garcia 71’)
Monterrey 1 (Angel Reyna 35’)
Monterrey advances 4-1 on aggregate
HOPING NOT TO REPEAT HISTORY
This is Alajuelense’s second straight trip to the semifinals. Last year, the Manudos fell 1-0 at home to Toluca in the first leg, before completing the series with a 2-0 loss in Mexico. They are hoping to avoid becoming the first team to be eliminated at the semifinal stage in two straight SCCL tournaments. Three other teams (Cruz Azul: 2008/09-2011/12; Santos: 2011/12-2013/13 and Monterrey: 2010/11-2012/13) have made appearances in two or more consecutive SCCL semifinals.
2013/14
FIRST LEG
April 1, 2014 at Alajuela, Costa Rica – Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto (Att: 16,573)
Alajuelense 0
Toluca 1 (Paulo Da Silva 71’)
SECOND LEG
April 8, 2014 at Toluca, Mexico – Estadio Nemesio Diez (Att: 16,672)
Toluca 2 (Carlos Esquivel 34’; Juan Manuel Salgueiro 62’)
Alajuelense 0
Toluca advances 3-0 on aggregate
FANTASTIC FOUR
Cruz Azul is the only team to appear in four SCCL semifinals (2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2013/14).
TERRIFIC THREE
Cruz Azul 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11) and Monterrey (2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13) are the only teams to appear in three consecutive SCCL semifinals.
18 OUT 68
Of the 68 teams to have played in at least one SCCL game, 18 have progressed to a semifinal series.
HOPING TO BE FIRST
No team from either Canada or Costa Rica has ever progressed to the SCCL final. Montreal, Alajuelense and Herediano could make history, not only for themselves, but also their countries.
