MIAMI.- The second leg matches of the 2023 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals are complete with a number of great moments across the four games. Here are the five that stood out the most:
Violette makes more Haitian history
Violette have officially been eliminated from the 2023 SCCL following their 6-2 aggregate defeat to Club Leon, but the Haitians leave the tournament having made history in several ways. After becoming the first Haitian club to win a match and a knockout round series in the SCCL in the Round of 16 versus Austin FC, Violette became the first Haitian club to defeat a Liga MX side in an SCCL match in Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Club Leon. It was the first time in 10 games (0W-1D-8L) that a Haitian team achieved that feat.
Club Leon heading to first SCCL semifinal
While Club Leon did go down in defeat to Violette on Tuesday, they earned the aggregate victory and a first ever semifinal appearance in the SCCL. It is an achievement that has been a long time coming for La Fiera in what is their fourth straight SCCL appearance and fifth overall. After near misses in the previous three campaigns, including a quarterfinal defeat last season to eventual champions the Seattle Sounders, Club Leon have finally earned a place in the final four of the tournament in the SCCL era.
Vela adds to SCCL legacy
Three years ago in 2020, Los Angeles FC’s Carlos Vela took the SCCL by storm with five goals in helping LAFC reach the Final. It looks like the Mexican FW has picked up where he left off. In four games thus far in the 2023 SCCL, Vela has three goals after his brace in LAFC’s 3-0 win versus the Vancouver Whitecaps. Vela now has eight goals in nine SCCL matches.
That moves him into ninth-place on the scoring chart of Mexican players in the SCCL, tying him with the likes of Manuel Negrete, Jorge Campos, Adolfo Bautista, Jose Maria Cardenas and current Club Leon player Elias Hernandez. Vela is also two goals shy of equaling former Real Salt Lake man Alvaro Saborio as the MLS player with the most SCCL goals (10). Another goal in the semifinal round would bring him level with Luciano Emilio, Fredy Montero, Robbie Keane and Christian Gomez.
Carranza catapults Union to second semifinal
FW Julian Carranza has been a revelation for the Philadelphia Union since arriving to the club last season and his scoring prowess was on full display with two goals in the Union’s 2-2 draw at Atlas. His first score came with the help of a delicate touch with his right foot to control a chip in from Jack McGlynn, followed by a clinical right-footed finish for his second goal of the night to seal Philadelphia’s semifinal spot. In just two SCCL appearances, Philadelphia have impressively reached the semifinal stage of both editions.
Gignac and Quinones evoking 2020 memories
Tigres’ run to the title in 2020 was highlighted by the goal-scoring exploits of Andre-Pierre Gignac and the playmaking of Luis Quinones. Judging by their respective performances in Tigres’ 5-0 win over Motagua on Thursday night, it appears both players have regained that 2020 SCCL form. Gignac scored a brace to give him 16 career SCCL goals, while Quinones did his part with a goal and three assists. Quinones had a hand in five of Tigres’ six goals in the series with two scores and three assists and registered a trio of assists in an SCCL quarterfinal second leg for the second time in his career after doing the same in the 2020 quarterfinal second leg against New York City FC.
