MIAMI, Florida – Last week marked the conclusion of the Preliminary Round of the 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf League and there were many notable moments and stats produced by players and teams.
Overall, this year’s Preliminary Round was one for the goal scorers. A record 33 goals were scored over 12 games in the initial round of the tournament (2.75 goals per game), surpassing the previous Preliminary Round mark of 30 goals scored in the 2021 edition.
Alejandro Diaz etched his name into the Concacaf history books by equaling the most goals scored in the Preliminary Round with his three goals in the 6-0 second leg win for Pacific FC against Waterhouse of Jamaica, tying Manfred Ugalde (Saprissa) and David Choiniere (Forge FC).
Speaking of goals, Municipal of Guatemala set an SCL record in all rounds for goals in a two-legged series with their nine scores against Atletico Vega Real of the Dominican Republic, bettering the eight goals scored by Olimpia of Honduras in their 8-2 aggregate win over Plaza Amador of Panama in the 2017 semifinals.
Aaron Suarez of Alajuelense now holds the record for the fastest goal scored in an SCL match, as he found the back of the net just one minute and 50 seconds into Alajuelense 3-0 second leg win versus Aguila of El Salvador. Suarez’s goal topped Edwin Solano’s goal at four minutes and 15 seconds for CD Marathon against Comunicaciones in 2019.
Of the 33 goals, 21 were scored via open play, with five on headers, six from the penalty spot and one via free kick. Forwards accounted for the majority of the goals with 16, but midfielders weren’t far behind with 11 goals, while defenders had six.
Twenty-eight of the 33 goals came from starting players, with 19 goals scored in the second half versus just 14 in thew first 45 minutes. Goals were much more frequent in front of the home fans, too, as 24 of the 33 goals were scored by the home team.
It was also a good round for goalkeepers, with a total of 80 saves made and 11 clean sheets kept.
Playmakers came to for the fore as well, with 17 assists. The Pacific FC duo of Joshua Heard and Gianni Dos Santos, along with Rudy Barrientos of Municipal, led the way with two assist each.
Cesar Salandia of Nicaraguan side Real Estelí accumulated the most saves (11), Juan Aimar of Salvadoran club Platense completed the most passes (110), while no player recovered more balls for his side than Sporting San Miguelito’s Pedro Jeanine, who had 10.