1997 CONCACAF Champions' Cup

33rd edition of premier club football tournament organized by CONCACAF
1997 CONCACAF Champions' Cup
Tournament details
Host countryUnited States
CityWashington, D.C.
DatesAugust 13–24
Teams8 (from 6 associations)
Final positions
ChampionsMexico Cruz Azul (5th title)
Runners-upUnited States Los Angeles Galaxy
Tournament statistics
Matches played8
Goals scored27 (3.38 per match)
← 1996
1998 →
International football competition

The 1997 CONCACAF Champions' Cup was the 33rd edition of the annual international club football competition, the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. It determined that year's club champion of the CONCACAF region (North America, Central America and the Caribbean).

The teams were split into three zones (North, Central and Caribbean). The North American zone qualified three teams direct into the quarterfinals and two teams played a play-off for the fourth spot in the quarterfinals. The Central American zone played a regional tournament to get three spots in the quarterfinal. The winner of the Caribbean zone got a place in the quarterfinals.

1997 was the first year that teams from the United States' premier league, Major League Soccer, took part in the Champions' Cup. The competitors in the MLS Cup, both winner and runner-up, were each given berths in the tournament.

All but two of the eight games played in the final tournament were played in Washington, D.C.. The final was won by Cruz Azul, who captured their fifth Champions' Cup title with a 5–3 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy.[1][2] The Galaxy were the first American club to reach the final of a Champions' Cup since 1984.

Preliminary Regional playoffs

North American Zone

Team 1  Score  Team 2
Los Angeles Galaxy United States 4–1 Mexico Santos Laguna
Los Angeles Galaxy United States v Mexico Santos Laguna
July 30, 1997 Los Angeles Galaxy United States 4–1 Mexico Santos Laguna Los Angeles
Mauricio Cienfuegos 64'
Eduardo Hurtado 65'
Martín Machón 80'
Welton Mello 84'		 Nicolás Ramírez 70' Stadium: Rose Bowl
  • Los Angeles Galaxy advance to the quarterfinal.

Central American Zone

Preliminary round

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
A.F.C. Euro Kickers Panama 5–6 Nicaragua Diriangén FC 4–2 1–4
A.F.C. Euro Kickers Panama v Nicaragua Diriangén FC
A.F.C. Euro Kickers Panama 4–2 Nicaragua Diriangén FC Estadio Artes y Oficios
Jorge Bovell
José Ardines
Wilchard 		Sergio Gago
Harry Cruz
Diriangén FC Nicaragua v Panama A.F.C. Euro Kickers
June 9, 1997 Diriangén FC Nicaragua 4–1
(6–5 agg.)		 Panama A.F.C. Euro Kickers Cacique Diriangén Stadium
Jose Maria Bermudez
Sergio Gago
Lester González 		José Ardines

First round

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
CS Cartaginés Costa Rica 9–2 Panama Tauro 5–0 4–2
FAS El Salvador 2–2
(3–5 pen) 		Guatemala CSD Comunicaciones 1–1 1–1
Xelajú MC Guatemala 2–0 Belize Real Verdes 0–0 2–0
Juventus Belize 4–2 Honduras Real CD España 0–1 4–1
Luis Ángel Firpo El Salvador 3–1 Honduras Olimpia 0–0 3–1
Diriangén FC Nicaragua 4–5 Costa Rica Alajuelense 3–2 1–3
CS Cartaginés Costa Rica v Panama Tauro
CS Cartaginés Costa Rica 5–0 Panama Tauro Cartago, Costa Rica
Jewisson Bennett
Heriberto Quirós
Norman Gómez 		Nil Stadium: José Rafael"Fello"Meza Ivancovich Stadium
Tauro Panama v Costa Rica CS Cartaginés
Tauro Panama 2–4
(2–8 agg.)		 Costa Rica CS Cartaginés Panama City, Panama
Gustavo Lagarcha Heriberto Quirós
Cristian Mena
Norman Gómez 		Stadium: Rommel Fernández Stadium
CSD Comunicaciones Guatemala v El Salvador FAS
CSD Comunicaciones Guatemala 1–1
(2–2 (pen agg.)		 El Salvador FAS
Everaldo Valencia Carlos Villareal
Xelajú MC Guatemala v Belize Real Verdes
June 2, 1997 Xelajú MC Guatemala 2–0
(2–0 agg.)		 Belize Real Verdes San Ignacio’s Norman Broaster Stadium
Gustavo Benzomo
Cesar Trujillo 		Nil
Real CD España Honduras v Belize Juventus
Real CD España Honduras 1–0 Belize Juventus
Guillermo Gómez 62' Nil
Juventus Belize v Honduras Real CD España
May 29, 1997 Juventus Belize 4–1
(4–2 agg.)		 Honduras Real CD España Francisco Morazán Stadium
David McCaulay 2'
Norman Nuñez 29'
Norman Nuñez 45'
John McAllet 52'		 Orbin Cabrera 88'
Olimpia Honduras v El Salvador Luis Ángel Firpo
June 4, 1997 Olimpia Honduras 1–3
(1–3 agg.)		 El Salvador Luis Ángel Firpo
Wilmer Velasquez 24' Fabio de Freitas 38'
Juan Gámez 43'
Percival Piggott 60'
Diriangén FC Nicaragua v Costa Rica Alajuelense
22 June 1997 Diriangén FC Nicaragua 3–2 Costa Rica Alajuelense Dirimbia, Nicaragua
Tyrone Acevedo 22'
José María Bermúdez 27'
Léster González 68'		 Josef Miso 14'
Ronald Chaves 58'		 Stadium: Estadio Cacique Diriangén
Alajuelense Costa Rica v Nicaragua Diriangén FC
Alajuelense Costa Rica 3–1
(5–4 agg.)		 Nicaragua Diriangén FC Alajuela, Costa Rica
Luis Diego Arnaez
Ronald Chavez
Harold Wallace 		Stadium: Alejandro Morera Soto Stadium

Second round

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Juventus Belize 2–8 Guatemala CSD Comunicaciones 0–3 2–5
Xelajú MC Guatemala 2–3 El Salvador C.D. Luis Ángel Firpo 2–1 0–2
CS Cartaginés Costa Rica 2–1 Costa Rica L.D. Alajuelense 2–1 –
  • Comunicaciones, Luis Ángel Firpo and Cartaginés advance to the quarterfinal. Cartaginés vs Alajuelense played in one leg in San José.[3]
Juventus Belize v Guatemala CSD Comunicaciones
June 22, 1997 Juventus Belize 0–3 Guatemala CSD Comunicaciones Belize
Nil Julio Rodas
Castro (o.g.)
Rigoberto Gómez 		Stadium: People’s Stadium in Orange Walk
CSD Comunicaciones Guatemala v Belize Juventus
June 28, 1997 CSD Comunicaciones Guatemala 5–2
(8–2 agg.)		 Belize Juventus Guatemala City, Guatemala
Rigoberto Gómez
Nicolas Suazo
Byron Perez
TBD 		Norman Núñez Stadium: Cementos Progreso Stadium

Caribbean Zone

CFU Club Championship final

  • United Petrotrin advance to the quarterfinal

Quarterfinal Qualified teams

North American zone

  • Major League Soccer:
United States D.C. United – 1996 MLS Cup winner
United States Los Angeles Galaxy – preliminary round winner (1996 MLS Cup runner-up)
  • Primera División de México:
Mexico Guadalajara – 1997 Verano winner
Mexico Cruz Azul – 1996 CONCACAF Champions Cup title holder

Central American zone

Caribbean zone

  • Caribbean Football Union (CFU):
    Trinidad and Tobago United Petrotrin – 1997 CFU Club Championship winner

Bracket

 
QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal
 
          
 
 
 
 
United States D.C. United1
 
 
 
Trinidad and Tobago United Petrotrin0
 
United States D.C. United0
 
 
 
United States Los Angeles Galaxy1
 
United States Los Angeles Galaxy2
 
 
 
El Salvador Luis Ángel Firpo0
 
United States Los Angeles Galaxy3
 
 
 
Mexico Cruz Azul5
 
Mexico Guadalajara1
 
 
 
Costa Rica Cartaginés0
 
Mexico Guadalajara2
 
 
 
Mexico Cruz Azul3 Third place
 
Mexico Cruz Azul5
 
 
 
Guatemala Comunicaciones 0
 
United States D.C. United2
 
 
Mexico Guadalajara2
 

Quarter-finals

Los Angeles Galaxy United States2–0El Salvador C.D. Luis Ángel Firpo
Welton 45'
Hurtado 78'
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Washington, D.C. – United States
D.C. United United States1–0Trinidad and Tobago United Petrotrin
Etcheverry 84'
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Washington, D.C. – United States

Semi-finals

D.C. United United States0–1United States Los Angeles Galaxy
Jones 10'
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Washington, D.C. – United States
Guadalajara Mexico2–3Mexico Cruz Azul
Sánchez 86' (pen.)
Martínez 90'		 Sánchez 26' (o.g.)
Yegros 36'
Adomaitis 77'
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Washington, D.C. – United States

Third place match

D.C. United United States2–2Mexico Guadalajara
Díaz Arce 40'
Iroha 89'		 Acosta 55'
Sánchez 86' (pen.)
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Washington, D.C. – United States
  • Third place was shared.

Final

Los Angeles Galaxy United States3–5Mexico Cruz Azul
Hurtado 8', 14'
Campos 78'		 Galindo 30' (pen.)
Rodríguez 31'
Adomaitis 36'
Hermosillo 62', 66'
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Washington, D.C. – United States
Team details
Los Angeles Galaxy
Cruz Azul
GK 9 Mexico Jorge Campos
DF 20 United States Paul Caligiuri
DF 2 United States Danny Pena
DF 4 United States Robin Fraser
DF 18 United States Greg Vanney
MF 14 United States Chris Armas
MF 5 Guatemala Martín Machón downward-facing red arrow 72'
MF 6 United States Dan Calichman downward-facing red arrow 46'
MF 10 El Salvador Mauricio Cienfuegos downward-facing red arrow 21'
FW 13 United States Cobi Jones
FW 29 Ecuador Eduardo Hurtado
Substitutions:
FW 8 United States Jose Botello upward-facing green arrow 21'
GK United States Kevin Hartman upward-facing green arrow 46'
DF Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ezra Hendrickson upward-facing green arrow 72'
Manager:
Ecuador Octavio Zambrano
GK 1 Mexico Óscar Pérez
DF 18 Mexico Johan Rodríguez
DF 23 Mexico Moisés González
DF 4 Peru Juan Reynoso
DF 2 Mexico Guadalupe Castañeda
MF 10 Argentina Héctor Adomaitis
MF 13 Mexico Carlos Barra downward-facing red arrow 67'
MF 19 Mexico Ómar Rodríguez downward-facing red arrow 76'
MF 7 Mexico Benjamín Galindo
FW 15 Mexico Francisco Palencia downward-facing red arrow 73'
FW 27 Mexico Carlos Hermosillo
Substitutes:
MF Mexico Agustín Morales upward-facing green arrow 67'
FW Paraguay Julio C. Yegros upward-facing green arrow 76'
MF Mexico Héctor Altamirano upward-facing green arrow 73'
Manager:
Mexico Luis Fernando Tena

Champion

CONCACAF Champions' Cup
1997 Winners
Mexico
Cruz Azul
Fifth title

References

  1. ^ Copa de Campeones 1997 on the RSSSF
  2. ^ "Copa de la Campeones de la Concacaf 1997" on Reino Azul (blogsite), 20 Oct 2014
  3. ^ "Copa de Campeones y Subcampeones CONCACAF 1997".
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