In case there was any doubt, Monterrey owns the CONCACAF Champions League. Their third straight title -- which they clinched with a 4-2 win over Santos Laguna on Wednesday -- was easily their most impressive.
Monterrey vs. Santos Laguna, CONCACAF Champions League: Los Rayados win third straight title
Aldo de Nigris scores two goals -- including the game winner -- as Monterrey storms back from a 2-0 deficit to win 4-2.
Los Rayados went down 2-0 at home, only to storm back with four goals that all came in the final 30 minutes of the match. That made them the first team since Cruz Azul did it from 1969-71 to win three straight CONCACAF titles.
The winner came off the head of Aldo de Nigris, who headed in a Humberto Suazo free kick in the 87th minute. De Nigris also scored Monterrey's first goal that gave them life, a volley from about 10 yards out off a Jesus Corona pass.
Following de Nigris’ first goal, it was Neri Cardozo who really made it interesting with an 84th minute goal. The Argentinian pounced on a poor clearance off a corner kick and hit it on the first touch, beating Oswaldo Sanchez.
Suazo put the final touches on the victory when he tapped the ball into an empty net in stoppage time.
The win put Monterrey into impressive company. The only other teams to win three straight continental titles are Cruz Azul, UEFA’s Real Madrid (1956-60), Bayern Munich (1974-76) and Ajax (1971-73) and South America’s Estudiantes (1968-70) and Independiente (1972-75).
Santos Laguna did not make it easy, though. Only 10 minutes before Monterrey started its furious comeback, it seemed as though Santos Laguna had put the match away when they pushed their lead to 2-0 off a Felipe Baloy header in the 50th minute. Carlos Quintero had given Santos Laguna the lead earlier, scoring his seventh goal of the tournament in the 38th minute.
Not only did Santos Laguna not hold on, but Quintero was also forced to share the scoring title as de Nigris’ second goal was also his seventh of the tournament.
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