Lucas Ocampos has made Monterrey's target clear: the Leagues Cup final is the real objective, even after the club already completed its first tournament goal by securing a place in the next Copa de Campeones de la CONCACAF.
The Rayados attacker spoke before the match in Los Ángeles, where Monterrey were continuing to push through a tournament that has already delivered one important step. That first objective, according to the club's plan, was to get back into Concachampions. That box is ticked. But the message from inside the camp is that the work is not finished.
Matías Almeyda had already framed the tournament in similar terms, saying one of the first goals he was given on arrival at Rayados was to put the team back into CONCACAF competition. He described that as an important step, but also made it clear that Monterrey want more than just the minimum.
Ocampos: the final is the target
Ocampos put the ambition in simple terms. In his view, football is played to win trophies and to be part of the club's history, and that is exactly how Monterrey are approaching this Leagues Cup run.
He said the body of the club, from the coaching staff to the directors, supporters and players, all want the same thing. The key line was the clearest one: reaching the final is the principal objective.
That matters because Monterrey have now gone six years without a title, with their last trophy coming in 2020 when they won the Copa MX against Xolos de Tijuana. For a club of Monterrey's size and expectation, that is a long wait, and it explains why qualification alone is not being treated as enough.
Why the pressure remains high
Almeyda's comments showed that the club's first target was about restoring Monterrey to the top level of CONCACAF competition. Ocampos' words go a step further. They point to a squad that is not satisfied with progress, but is chasing something that would carry real weight in the club's recent history.
That is what makes the next matches so important. Monterrey have achieved one part of the brief, but the bigger challenge is still in front of them. If they are to break the six-year wait for silverware, they must now turn that early success into a run all the way to the final.
