The final was contested in a two-leg aggregate format on 18 and 25 April 2012, between two
Mexican teams,
Monterrey and
Santos Laguna. After winning the first leg 2–0,[1] a 2–1 loss in the second leg gave
Monterrey the title 3–2 on aggregate.[2] As a result, Monterrey earned the right to represent
CONCACAF at the
2012 FIFA Club World Cup, entering at the quarterfinal stage.[3]
Background
For the third time in four seasons of the CONCACAF Champions League, the final was played between two Mexican sides. This guaranteed a Mexican champion for the seventh straight year and 28th time since the confederation began staging the tournament in 1962 (including the tournament's predecessor, the CONCACAF Champions' Cup).[4]
Monterrey were the defending champions, winning the title in
2010–11 after beating
Real Salt Lake in the
final. They defeated two Mexican sides in the knockout round.
Santos Laguna's previous best record was in
2008–09 when they reached the semifinals. Santos Laguna defeated two teams from
Major League Soccer in the knockout round, scoring 6 goals in each of the two home victories.
Both teams qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League tournament by reaching the final of the
Torneo Apertura 2010 in which Monterrey won with a score of 5–3.
Like other match-ups in the knockout round, the teams played
two games, one at each team's home stadium. If the teams remained tied after 90 minutes of play during the 2nd leg, the
away goals rule would be used, but not after a tie enters
extra time, and so a tie would be decided by
penalty shootout if the aggregate score is level after extra time.[5]