In the Cocachampions, the most prestigious club tournament in Concacaf, Monterrey was a candidate to go far. Its history in the competition and the internationally renowned players in its squad, such as Sergio Ramos, Jesús Corona, Lucas Ocampos, Sergio Canales, or Esteban Andrada, made it seem like they had a serious chance to fight for the title. However, their participation was abruptly interrupted by a surprising rival, the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Los Rayados tied the second leg of the round of 16 at the last minute, with a penalty goal by Sergio Ramos, leaving the series 3 to 3. However, this wasn't enough to take the series to extra time, as the Canadian team scored more away goals, unexpectedly eliminating the Mexican team and putting Martín Demichelis's continuity in doubt.
After the 1 to 1 draw in the first leg in Canada, Monterrey had two ways to qualify in the second leg, by winning the match or drawing 0 to 0, as the away goal rule still applies in this tournament. The match began with a partial victory for Los Rayados with a goal by Canales at 4 minutes into the first half. Despite having the odds against them, Vancouver Whitecaps didn't let themselves be intimidated and managed to turn the match and the series around, with goals by Ocampos and White at 56 and 78 minutes respectively.
