1997 CONCACAF Champions' Cup

33rd edition of premier club football tournament organized by CONCACAF September 2025 1997 August 13–24 Washington, D.C. United States 8 6 MEX Cruz Azul 5 USA Los Angeles Galaxy 8 27 1996 1998 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 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.Copa de Campeones 1997 on the RSSSF"Copa de la Campeones de la Concacaf 1997" on Reino Azul (blogsite), October 20, 2014 At the time, Mexican goalkeeper Jorge Campos was signed to the Galaxy and Cruz Azul.Dure Beau 2010 Long-Range Goals: The Success Story of Major League Soccer 55–56 Potomac Books Washington, D.C. 978-1-59797-509-4 500783910 The Galaxy were the first American club to reach the final of a Champions Cup or League. Preliminary Regional playoffs North American Zone Los Angeles Galaxy USA 4–1 Santos Laguna MEX |} July 30, 1997 Los Angeles Galaxy USA 4–1 MEX Santos Laguna Mauricio Cienfuegos 64Eduardo Hurtado 65Martín Machón 80Welton Mello 84 Nicolás Ramírez 70 Los Angeles Rose Bowl Y Los Angeles Galaxy advance to the quarterfinal. Central American Zone Preliminary round A.F.C. Euro Kickers PAN 5–6 Diriangén FC NCA 4–2 1–4 |} A.F.C. Euro Kickers PAN 4–2 NCA Diriangén FC Jorge Bovell José Ardines Wilchard Sergio Gago Harry Cruz Estadio Artes y Oficios Y June 9, 1997 Diriangén FC NCA 4–1 6–5 PAN A.F.C. Euro Kickers Jose Maria Bermudez Sergio Gago Lester González José Ardines Cacique Diriangén Stadium Y First round CS Cartaginés CRC 9–2 Tauro PAN 5–0 4–2 FAS SLV 2–2(3–5 pen) CSD Comunicaciones GUA 1–1 1–1 Xelajú MC GUA 2–0 Real Verdes BLZ 0–0 2–0 Juventus BLZ 4–2 Real CD España HON 1949 0–1 4–1 Luis Ángel Firpo SLV 3–1 Olimpia HON 1949 0–0 3–1 Diriangén FC NCA 4–5 Alajuelense CRC 3–2 1–3 |} CS Cartaginés CRC 5–0 PAN Tauro Jewisson Bennett Heriberto Quirós Norman Gómez Nil Cartago, Costa Rica José Rafael"Fello"Meza Ivancovich Stadium Y Tauro PAN 2–4 2–8 CRC CS Cartaginés Gustavo Lagarcha Heriberto Quirós Cristian Mena Norman Gómez Panama City, Panama Rommel Fernández Stadium Y FAS SLV 1–1 GUA CSD Comunicaciones Guillermo Rivera Milton "Tyson" Núñez Y CSD Comunicaciones GUA 1–1 2–2 (pen SLV FAS Everaldo Valencia Carlos Villareal Y Real Verdes BLZ 0–0 GUA Xelajú MC Nil Nil Y June 2, 1997 Xelajú MC GUA 2–0 2–0 BLZ Real Verdes Gustavo Benzomo Cesar Trujillo Nil San Ignacio’s Norman Broaster Stadium Y Real CD España HON 1949 1–0 BLZ Juventus Guillermo Gómez 62 Nil Y May 29, 1997 Juventus BLZ 4–1 4–2 HON 1949 Real CD España David McCaulay 2 Norman Nuñez 29 Norman Nuñez 45 John McAllet 52 Orbin Cabrera 88 Francisco Morazán Stadium Y May 28, 1997 Luis Ángel Firpo SLV 0–0 HON 1949 Olimpia Nil Nil Usulután, El Salvador Estadio Sergio Torres, Usulután 6,000 Y June 4, 1997 Olimpia HON 1949 1–3 1–3 SLV Luis Ángel Firpo Wilmer Velasquez 24 Fabio de Freitas 38 Juan Gámez 43 Percival Piggott 60 Y June 22, 1997 Diriangén FC NCA 3–2 CRC Alajuelense Tyrone Acevedo 22 José María Bermúdez 27 Léster González 68 Josef Miso 14 Ronald Chaves 58 Dirimbia, Nicaragua Estadio Cacique Diriangén Y Alajuelense CRC 3–1 5–4 NCA Diriangén FC Luis Diego Arnaez Ronald Chavez Harold Wallace Alajuela, Costa Rica Alejandro Morera Soto Stadium Y Second round Juventus BLZ 2–8 CSD Comunicaciones GUA 0–3 2–5 Xelajú MC GUA 2–3 C.D. Luis Ángel Firpo SLV 2–1 0–2 CS Cartaginés CRC 2–1 L.D. Alajuelense CRC 2–1 – |} Comunicaciones, Luis Ángel Firpo and Cartaginés advance to the quarterfinal. Cartaginés vs Alajuelense played in one leg in San José.Copa de Campeones y Subcampeones CONCACAF 1997 https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/cacups97.html June 22, 1997 Juventus BLZ 0–3 GUA CSD Comunicaciones Nil Julio Rodas Castro o.g. Rigoberto Gómez Belize People’s Stadium in Orange Walk Y June 28, 1997 CSD Comunicaciones GUA 5–2 8–2 BLZ Juventus Rigoberto Gómez Nicolas Suazo Byron Perez TBD Norman Núñez Guatemala City, Guatemala Cementos Progreso Stadium Y Xelajú MC GUA 2–1 SLV C.D. Luis Ángel Firpo Posse Mora Raul Toro Y C.D. Luis Ángel Firpo SLV 2–0 3–2 GUA Xelajú MC Raul Toro Israel Castro Nil Y CS Cartaginés CRC 2–1 2–1 CRC L.D. Alajuelense Sergio Morales Luis Diego Arnáez Y Caribbean Zone 1997 CFU Club Championship CFU Club Championship final August 2, 1997 United Petrotrin TRI 2–1 (g.g.) JAM Seba United Prosper 44 Jones 95 Hill 56 United Petrotrin advance to the quarterfinal Quarterfinal Qualified teams North American zone Major League Soccer: USA D.C. United – 1996 MLS Cup winner USA Los Angeles Galaxy – preliminary round winner (1996 MLS Cup runner-up) Primera División de México: MEX Guadalajara – 1997 Verano winner MEX Cruz Azul – 1996 CONCACAF Champions Cup title holder Central American zone Central American Qualifiers:CRC C.S. Cartaginés – Second Round Series winnerSLV C.D. Luis Ángel Firpo – Second Round Series winnerGUA CSD Comunicaciones – Second Round Series winner Caribbean zone Caribbean Football Union (CFU):TRI United Petrotrin – 1997 CFU Club Championship winner Bracket USA D.C. United 1 TRI United Petrotrin 0 USA Los Angeles Galaxy 2 SLV Luis Ángel Firpo 0 MEX Guadalajara 1 CRC Cartaginés 0 MEX Cruz Azul 5 GUA Comunicaciones 0 USA D.C. United 0 USA Los Angeles Galaxy 1 MEX Guadalajara 2 MEX Cruz Azul 3 USA Los Angeles Galaxy 3 MEX Cruz Azul 5 USA D.C. United 2 MEX Guadalajara 2 Quarterfinals Semifinals Final Third yes no no no no no Quarter-finals August 12, 1997 Los Angeles Galaxy USA 2–0 El Salvador C.D. Luis Ángel Firpo Welton 45Hurtado 78 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial StadiumWashington, D.C. – United States August 12, 1997 D.C. United USA 1–0 Trinidad and Tobago United Petrotrin Etcheverry 84 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial StadiumWashington, D.C. – United States August 16, 1997 Cruz Azul Mexico 5–0 Guatemala CSD Comunicaciones Galindo 5 57Yegros 42Hermosillo 56Palencia 78 Estadio AzulMexico, D.F. – Mexico August 17, 1997 Guadalajara Mexico 1–0 Costa Rica C.S. Cartaginés Robles 34 Estadio JaliscoGuadalajara, Jalisco – Mexico Semi-finals August 22, 1997 D.C. United USA 0–1 USA Los Angeles Galaxy Jones 10 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial StadiumWashington, D.C. – United States August 22, 1997 Guadalajara MEX 2–3 MEX Cruz Azul Sánchez 86 pen.Martínez 90 Sánchez 26 o.g.Yegros 36Adomaitis 77 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial StadiumWashington, D.C. – United States Third place match August 24, 1997 D.C. United USA 2–2 Mexico Guadalajara Díaz Arce 40Iroha 89 Acosta 55Sánchez 86 pen. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial StadiumWashington, D.C. – United States Third place was shared. Final August 24, 1997 18:10 UTC-4 Los Angeles Galaxy USA 3–5 Mexico Cruz Azul Hurtado 8 14 Campos 78 Galindo 30 pen. Rodríguez 31 Adomaitis 36 Hermosillo 62 66 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial StadiumWashington, D.C. – United States Team details _galaxy99a _galaxy99a _galaxy99a _nikeblack _nikeblack ffffff ffffff ffffff ffffff FFFFFF Los Angeles Galaxy_thin_white_border _caz9900h _thin_white_border 162661 162661 162661 162661 0a1c30 Cruz Azul GK 9 MEX Jorge Campos DF 20 USA Paul Caligiuri DF 2 USA Danny Pena DF 4 USA Robin Fraser DF 18 USA Greg Vanney MF 14 USA Chris Armas MF 5 GUA Martín Machón 72 MF 6 USA Dan Calichman 46 MF 10 ESA Mauricio Cienfuegos 15px21 FW 13 USA Cobi Jones FW 29 ECU Eduardo HurtadoSubstitutions: FW 8 USA Jose Botello 21GK USA Kevin Hartman 46 DF Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ezra Hendrickson 72Manager: ECU Octavio Zambrano GK 1 MEX Óscar Pérez DF 18 MEX Johan Rodríguez DF 23 MEX Moisés González DF 4 PER Juan Reynoso DF 2 MEX Guadalupe Castañeda MF 10 ARG Héctor Adomaitis MF 13 MEX Carlos Barra 67 MF 19 MEX Ómar Rodríguez 76 MF 7 MEX Benjamín Galindo FW 15 MEX Francisco Palencia 73 FW 27 MEX Carlos HermosilloSubstitutes: MF MEX Agustín Morales 67 FW PAR Julio C. Yegros 76 MF MEX Héctor Altamirano 73 Manager: MEX Luis Fernando Tena Champion CONCACAF Champions' Cup1997 WinnersMEX 100pxCruz AzulFifth title References 1997 Champions' Cup