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The 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup continues to write unforgettable chapters in the history of the competition, and this week was no exception with the start of the quarterfinals.
Here are some interesting facts and figures from the first leg matches in the quarterfinals.
100 goals
Cristian Calderón scored during Club America’s 4-0 win at New England Revolution, marking the 100th goal for the Liga MX giants since the 2008-09 edition. Las Águilas are the 4th club to surpass the century mark in goals since the format change in 2008. (Santos Laguna with 141, Cruz Azul with 136, and Monterrey with 123).
Reaching “Hugol”
Henry Martín scored his 7th goal in the Champions Cup to tie the legendary Hugo Sánchez in 4th place among Mexican scorers for Club América.
Uruguayan Eagles
Brian Rodríguez scored his 1st Champions Cup goal to become the 5th Uruguayan footballer to score for the Club América in the history of the tournament. The other four players are Marcelo Lipatín (2003), Sebastián Cáceres (2020), Federico Viñas (2021), and Jonathan Rodríguez (2024).
20 away wins
Club América achieved two consecutive away victories in the Champions Cup, something they hadn’t achieved since defeating Toluca 4-1 in the 2003 semifinals at the Nemesio Díez Stadium and Portmore United 2-1 in the 2006 quarterfinals at Minute Maid Park (Houston).
For Club América, it was their 20th away victory in the Champions Cup, which allowed them to equal CF Monterrey in 2nd place of Mexican clubs with the most away victories, only behind Cruz Azul with (24).
13 years, 8 months, and 3 days
An MLS club hadn’t conceded 4 goals in a first-leg game in any round for exactly 13 years, 8 months, and 3 days (July 27, 2010), when Los Angeles Galaxy lost the first leg match against Puerto Rico Islanders with a final score of 1-4, in the 2010-2011 edition.
The New England Revolution ended that streak by conceding 4 goals in a single game for the 3rd time in their Champions Cup participations. They previously fell 4-0 against Alajuelense in 2003, 0-4 against Joe Public in 2008.
New England is the 1st MLS club to lose twice at home by a score of 0-4 in the Champions Cup. The Massachusetts club will strive for history in the second leg as no MLS club that conceded 4 goals in the first leg (any round) managed to qualify for the next phase.
Unbeaten in 15 of 16
For Tigres UANL, the 1-1 draw at Columbus Crew SC marked the Mexican club’s 5th consecutive game without losing in the Champions Cup (3D-2W). The Liga MX team has only lost 1 of their last 16 matches in the Champions Cup (1L-5D-10W).
Tigres UANL also achieved their 3rd consecutive draw as an away team in the Champions Cup, marking the first time in their entire history that they drew 3 consecutive games in the Champions Cup while playing away.
19 for APG
André-Pierre Gignac scored his 19th goal in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The feat places him as the 4th best scorer since the 2008-2009 season.
Striking Tigres Twice
Diego Rossi of Columbus Crew SC scored his 3rd goal in the Champions Cup. It marks the second time the Uruguayan has scored against Tigres UANL, previously doing so in the 2020 Final as a member of Los Angeles FC.
Twelve unbeaten vs. MLS
Tigres UANL reached 12 consecutive games without losing against MLS clubs in the history of the Champions Cup (5D-7W). It’s only defeat against an MLS opponent was on March 12, 2013, against Seattle Sounders in the second leg of the quarterfinals of the 2012-2013 edition. With that defeat, the Mexican club was eliminated from the semifinals in that edition.
9 in a row
CF Monterrey achieved their ninth consecutive victory in the tournament in their 2-1 win at Inter Miami CF, marking the longest winning streak in the club’s history in the entire history of the competition.
Rayados extended their unbeaten streak in the competition to 16 games (14W-2D), which is the 2nd best streak for the club in the history of the tournament. That mark is only surpassed by the streak from 2004 to 2011, which was 18 games (7D-11W).
Miami 1 Monterrey 2
First defeat
Inter Miami CF suffered its first loss in the tournament. The Florida side became the ninth MLS club to suffer its 1st defeat in its debut tournament until its third match. It also became the 4th club to achieve this as a home team, previously done by Seattle Sounders against Necaxa 1-4 on July 18, 1997, New York City against Tigres UANL 0-1 on March 11, 2020, and FC Cincinnati against CF Monterrey 0-1 on March 7, 2024.
First victory
CF Pachuca achieved their first victory on Costa Rican soil in the history of the tournament after five matches where they had drawn twice and lost twice (GF-7 GC-5).
Venezuelan Gladiator
Salomón Rondón scored three goals during Pachuca’s 5-0 victory at CS Herediano. The Venezuelan scored his second tournament hat-trick to bring his tally to six goals in the 2024 Champions Cup.
Rondón also became the Venezuelan player with the most goals scored in a single tournament, surpassing the four goals scored by Juan Arango in the 2002 edition with Pachuca.
He also became the Venezuelan with the most goals scored for any club in the history of the tournament, surpassing the five goals scored by Josef Martínez with Atlanta United between 2019 and 2020.
