For the 14th time in CCL history, the final will be disputed between two Liga MX teams, proving their complete dominance yet again over the region. In fact, before 1996, two Mexican clubs had never met in a CCL final. So, in reality, it’ll be the 14th time in the last 25 years that this has happened. It doesn’t get any more dominating than that. Not to mention, the last time a final didn’t feature a Mexican club at all was all the way back in 2004. The entire CONCACAF region has grown very used to seeing Mexican clubs fighting for a Club World Cup spot.
Thanks to Rayados’ thrashing of Cruz Azul 1-4 (1-5 aggregate) last night, coupled with América asserting itself over Philadelphia Union two nights ago (4-0 aggregate), these two clubs are now in position to add yet another CCL title to their trophy room. In fact, Rayados are now presented with the chance to inch ever closer to the all-time tournament winner (América) directly, as Aguirre’s club have won 4 times compared to Solari’s, who have claimed it on 7 different occasions.
Both clubs have over a month to prepare for the match, as it won’t be played until Thursday, October 28th. The wait will surely benefit Rayados more, as Héctor Moreno just returned to the lineup last weekend and they continue to await the return of striker Vincent Janssen. This will give them both time to gain rhythm and be near full strength for the final. The venue will be the Estadio BBVA thanks to Monterrey outperforming América in their previous rounds. If Rayados are crowned, they’ll be tied for third-most titles alongside Pachuca. If América claim the championship, they will move further away from Cruz Azul and reassure their status as the best team in the CCL.
The most interesting part is that América will have a chance to exact revenge on Rayados for winning the Liga MX in the Estadio Azteca not even two years ago. The Águilas will now have their chance to take this title on the road and get even in a sense. Whatever happens, this is truly a battle of the giants with no clear-cut favorite in this one.