| Tourney Name: | CONCACAF League |
| Year: | 2022 |
| Other Titles: | 2022 Scotiabank CONCACAF League |
| Dates: | 26 July – 2 November |
| Num Teams: | 22 |
| Associations: | 10 |
| Champion Other: | Olimpia |
| Count: | 2 |
| Second Other: | Alajuelense |
| Matches: | 42 |
| Goals: | 94 |
| Top Scorer: |  Ramiro Rocca(6 goals) |
| Player: | Michaell Chirinos |
| Young Player: | Aarón Suárez |
| Goalkeeper: | Leonel Moreira |
| Fair Play: | Alajuelense |
| Prevseason: | 2021 |
The 2022 CONCACAF League (officially the 2022 Scotiabank CONCACAF League for sponsorship purposes) was the sixth and final edition of the CONCACAF League, a football club competition organized by CONCACAF, the regional governing body of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.[1]
Olimpia defeated Alajuelense in the final to win their second CONCACAF League title. As winners, they and the next best five teams qualified for the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League.[2] [3] Comunicaciones were the title holders, but were eliminated by Diriangén in the Round of 16.
A total of 22 teams participated in the CONCACAF League:
1 team (from one association)
18 teams (from seven associations)
3 teams (from two or three associations)
Therefore, teams from either 10 or 11 out of the 41 CONCACAF member associations may participate in the CONCACAF League.
The one berth for the North American Zone (NAFU) was allocated to the Canadian Soccer Association through the previous year's Canadian Premier League. The league champion, decided by the Canadian Premier League Finals contested between the two semifinal winners, qualified.[4] They are the second Canadian representative included in CONCACAF competitions, besides the Canadian Championship champions which qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League.
The 18 berths for the Central American Football Union (UNCAF), which consists of seven member associations, were allocated as follows: three berths for each of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, two berths for Nicaragua, and one berth for Belize.
All of the leagues of Central America employ a split season with two tournaments in one season, so the following teams qualified for the CONCACAF League:
If teams from any Central American associations were excluded, they would be replaced by teams from other Central American associations, with the associations chosen based on results from previous CONCACAF League and CONCACAF Champions League tournaments.[5]
The three berths for the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), which consists of 31 member associations, were allocated via the CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship and CONCACAF Caribbean Club Shield, the first-tier and second-tier subcontinental Caribbean club tournaments. Since 2018, the CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship is open to teams from professional leagues, where they can qualify as champions or runners-up of their respective association's league in the previous season, while the CONCACAF Caribbean Club Shield is open to teams from non-professional leagues, where they can qualify as champions of their respective association's league in the previous season.[6]
Besides the champions of the CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship which qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League, the runners-up and third-placed team of the CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship, and the winners of a playoff between the fourth-placed team of the CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship and the champions of the CONCACAF Caribbean Club Shield, qualified for the CONCACAF League. For the champions of the CONCACAF Caribbean Club Shield to be eligible for the playoff, they were required to comply with the minimum CONCACAF Club Licensing requirements for the CONCACAF League.[7]
The following 22 teams (from eleven associations) qualified for the tournament.[2]
| width=15% | Association | width=14% | Team | width=11% | Entry round | width=40% | Qualifying method | width=7% | width=13% | Previous best | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific FC | Preliminary round | 2021 Canadian Premier League champions | 1st | Debut |
| width=15% | Association | width=14% | Team | width=11% | Entry round | width=40% | Qualifying method | width=7% | width=13% | Previous best | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herediano | Round of 16 | Champions with better 2021–22 aggregate record (2021 Apertura) | 4th | Champions | |||||||
| Cartaginés | Round of 16 | Champions with worse 2021–22 aggregate record (2022 Clausura) | 1st | Debut | |||||||
| Alajuelense | Preliminary round | Non-champions with best regular season record in 2021 Clausura | 4th | Champions | |||||||
| Olimpia | Round of 16 | 2021 Apertura champions | 5th | Champions | |||||||
| Motagua | Round of 16 | 2022 Clausura champions | 5th | Runners-up | |||||||
| Real España | Preliminary round | 2021 Apertura and 2022 Clausura runners-up | 2nd | Round of 16 | |||||||
| Tauro | Round of 16 | Champions with better 2021–22 aggregate record (2021 Clausura) | 4th | Semi-finals | |||||||
| Round of 16 | Champions with worse 2021–22 aggregate record (2022 Apertura) | 1st | Debut | ||||||||
| Sporting San Miguelito | Preliminary round | Non-champions with best 2021–22 aggregate record (2022 Apertura) | 1st | Debut | |||||||
| Alianza | Round of 16 | Champions with better 2021–22 aggregate record (2021 Apertura) | 4th | Semi-finals | |||||||
| Águila | Preliminary round | Champions with worse 2021–22 aggregate record (2022 Clausura) | 3rd | Quarterfinals | |||||||
| Platense | Preliminary round | Non-champions with best 2021–22 aggregate record | 1st | Debut | |||||||
| Comunicaciones | Round of 16 | Champions with better 2021–22 aggregate record (2022 Clausura) | 4th | Champions | |||||||
| Malacateco | Preliminary round | Champions with worse 2021–22 aggregate record (2021 Apertura) | 1st | Debut | |||||||
| Municipal | Preliminary round | Non-champions with best 2021–22 aggregate record | 2nd | Round of 16 | |||||||
| Diriangén | Round of 16 | Champions of both Apertura and Clausura Finals 2021–22 Liga Primera de Nicaragua | 5th | Round of 16 | |||||||
| Real Esteli | Preliminary round | Non-champions with best 2021–22 Liga Primera de Nicaragua record | 5th | Quarterfinals | |||||||
| Verdes | Preliminary round | Champions with better 2021–22 aggregate record | 3rd | Preliminary Round |
| width=25% | Association | width=14% | Team | width=11% | Entry round | width=40% | Qualifying method | width=7% | width=13% | Previous best | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cibao FC | Round of 16 | 2022 CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship runners-up (2nd overall) | 2nd | Preliminary Round | |||||||
| Atlético Vega Real | Preliminary round | 2022 CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship third place (3rd overall) | 1st | Debut | |||||||
| Waterhouse | Preliminary round | 2022 Caribbean CONCACAF League playoff winners | 3rd | Quarterfinal |
The draw for the 2022 CONCACAF League was held on 8 June 2022, 20:00 EDT (UTC−4), at the CONCACAF headquarters in Miami, United States.[8]
For the preliminary round, the draw determined each tie (numbered 1 through 6) between a team from Pot 1 and a team from Pot 2, each containing six teams. Teams from the same association could not be drawn against each other except for "wildcard" teams which replace a team from another association.
For the round of 16, the draw determined each tie (numbered 1 through 8) between a team from Pot 3 and a team from Pot 4, each containing eight teams. Teams from the same association could not be drawn against each other except for "wildcard" teams which replace a team from another association. The six preliminary round winners, whose identity was not known at the time of the draw, were placed in Pot 4 and could be drawn into the same tie with another team from the same association.
The seeding of teams was based on the CONCACAF Club Index. The CONCACAF Club Index, instead of ranking each team, is based on the on-field performance of the teams that have occupied the respective qualifying slots in the previous five editions of the CONCACAF League and CONCACAF Champions League. To determine the total points awarded to a slot in any single edition of the CONCACAF League or CONCACAF Champions League, CONCACAF uses the following formula:
| Points per | Participation | Win | Draw | Stage advanced | Champions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CONCACAF Champions League | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| CONCACAF League | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 |
Teams qualified for the CONCACAF League based on criteria set by their association (e.g., tournament champions, runners-up, cup champions), resulting in an assigned slot (e.g., CRC1, CRC2) for each team.
The 22 teams were distributed in the pots as follows:[9]
| Pot | Rank | Slot | 2017 CL or 2018 CCL | 2018 CL or 2019 CCL | 2019 CL | 2020 CL | 2021 CL | Total | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pot 1 | 1 | 84.5 | Alajuelense | ||||||
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 46.5 | Municipal | |||||
| 3 | 44.5 | Real España | |||||||
| 4 | 36.5 | Platense | |||||||
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 36 | Pacific FC | |||||
| 6 | 34.5 | Sporting San Miguelito | |||||||
| Pot 2 | 7 | 30 | Águila | ||||||
| 8 | 27 | Atlético Vega Real | |||||||
| 9 | 22 | Real Estelí | |||||||
| 10 | 0 | 0 | 14.5 | Malacateco | |||||
| 11 | 14.5 | Waterhouse | |||||||
| 12 | 10 | Verdes |
| Pot | Rank | Slot | 2017 CL or 2018 CCL | 2018 CL or 2019 CCL | 2019 CL | 2020 CL | 2021 CL | Total | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pot 3 | 1 | 40.5 | Olimpia | ||||||
| 2 | 40 | Motagua | |||||||
| 3 | 36 | Herediano | |||||||
| 4 | 32 | ||||||||
| 5 | 29 | Tauro | |||||||
| 6 | 25 | Diriangén | |||||||
| 7 | 22 | Alianza | |||||||
| 8 | 18 | Cartaginés | |||||||
| Pot 4 | 9 | 16.5 | Cibao | ||||||
| 10 | 0 | 14 | |||||||
| 11 | Winner preliminary round 1 | ||||||||
| 12 | Winner preliminary round 2 | ||||||||
| 13 | Winner preliminary round 3 | ||||||||
| 14 | Winner preliminary round 4 | ||||||||
| 15 | Winner preliminary round 5 | ||||||||
| 16 | Winner preliminary round 6 | ||||||||
In the CONCACAF League, the 22 teams played a single-elimination tournament. Each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis.
The schedule of the competition was as follows.
| Round | First leg | Second leg | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary round | 26–28 July | 2–4 August | |
| Round of 16 | 16–18 August | 23–25 August | |
| Quarter-finals | 7–8 September | 13–15 September | |
| Semi-finals | 4–5 October | 11 October | |
| Final | 26 October | 2 November |
Times are Eastern Daylight Time (i.e., UTC−4), as listed by CONCACAF (local times are in parentheses).
In the preliminary round, the matchups were decided by draw: PR-1 through PR-6. The teams from Pot 1 in the draw host the second leg.
The first legs were played on 26–28 July, and the second legs were played on 2–4 August 2022.[10]
|}
Tied 2–2 on aggregate. Verdes won on away goals.----Alajuelense won 4–1 on aggregate----Real España won 3–1 on aggregate----Sporting San Miguelito won 4–1 on aggregate----Pacific FC won 6–0 on aggregate----Municipal won 9–0 on aggregate
In the round of 16, the matchups were decided by draw: R16-1 through R16-6. The teams from Pot 3 in the draw host the second leg.
The first legs were played on 16–18 August, and the second legs were played on 23–25 August 2022.[11]
|}
Tauro won 2–1 on aggregate----Motagua won 3–0 on aggregate----Olimpia won 3–2 on aggregate----Diriangén won 2–1 on aggregate----Tied 1–1 on aggregate. Herediano won 6–5 on penalties.----Real España won 4–0 on aggregate----
Alajuelense won 6–1 on aggregate----Alianza won 7–1 on aggregate
In the quarter-finals, the matchups were determined as follows:
The winners of round of 16 matchups 1, 3, 5, 7 host the second leg.
The first legs were played on 7–8 September, and the second legs were played on 13–15 September 2022.[12]
|}
Tied 0–0 on aggregate. Motagua won 5–4 on penalties.----Olimpia won 7–1 on aggregate----Real España won 4–2 on aggregate----Alajuelense won 3–0 on aggregate
In the semi-finals, the matchups were determined as follows:
The semi-finalists in each tie which had the better performance in previous rounds (excluding preliminary round) hosted the second leg.
The first legs were played on 4–5 October, and the second legs were played on 11 October 2022.[13] |}
Olimpia won 1–0 on aggregate----Alajuelense won 5–2 on aggregate
See main article: 2022 CONCACAF League Final.
In the final (Winner SF1 vs. Winner SF2), the finalists which had the better performance in previous rounds (excluding preliminary round) hosted the second leg.
|}
Olimpia won 5–4 on aggregate.
| Rank | Player | Team | Goals | By round | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|    |    | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Ramiro Rocca | Real España | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2 |  Alejandro Díaz | Pacific FC | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| Michaell Chirinos | Olimpia | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| Doryan Rodríguez | Alajuelense | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| Matías Rotondi | Municipal | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| Aarón Suárez | Alajuelense | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| Johan Venegas | Alajuelense | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| 8 | 11 players | 2 | < | -- | Bernald Alfaro | Alajuelense | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| Josh Heard | Pacific FC | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| Giancarlo González | Alajuelense | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
 Víctor Landazuri | Alianza | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| José Reyes | Real España | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
 Rodolfo Zelaya | Alianza | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| Aubrey David | Alajuelense | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Bryan Félix | Alajuelense | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Carlos Mejía | Motagua | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Aarón Suárez | Alajuelense | 1 | --> | |||||||||||||||
Starting from the round of 16, teams are ranked based on their results (excluding preliminary round). Based on the ranking, the top six teams, i.e., champions, runners-up, both losing semi-finalists, and best two losing quarter-finalists, qualify for the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League.
The following awards were given at the conclusion of the tournament:
| Award | Player | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Ball[14] | Michaell Chirinos | Olimpia | |
| Golden Boot[15] | Ramiro Rocca | Real España | |
| Golden Glove[16] | Leonel Moreira | Alajuelense | |
| Best Young Player[17] | Aarón Suárez | Alajuelense | |
| Fair Play Award[18] | — | Alajuelense |
| Position | Player | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leonel Moreira | Alajuelense | ||
| align=center rowspan=4 | Carlos Sánchez | Olimpia | |
| Giancarlo González | Alajuelense | ||
| José García | Olimpia | ||
| Maylor Núñez | Olimpia | ||
| align=center rowspan=4 | Celso Borges | Alajuelense | |
| José Pinto | Olimpia | ||
| Aarón Suárez | Alajuelense | ||
| Michaell Chirinos | Olimpia | ||
| align=center rowspan=2 | Ramiro Rocca | Real España | |
| Johan Venegas | Alajuelense |