Listen up: All you MLS fans in soccer withdrawal and all you Liga MX fans who are ready for a little early season cup action, your time has come.
The quarterfinals of the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League are upon us. The three-team groups of CCL have brought forth what they were designed to bring forth: A MLS vs. Liga MX knockout tournament of 8 teams. Tigres UANL, Queretaro, Santos Laguna, and Club America will take on Real Salt Lake, D.C. United, LA Galaxy, and Seattle Sounders in a surprisingly evenly matched quarterfinal round. The first legs take place next Tuesday, February 23rd and Wednesday, February 24th.
For those who want to argue whether or not MLS can compete with Liga MX, these games will be a litmus test. For those who think that Major League Soccer’s salary structure is just fine, this will be an honest assessment of a salary capped league’s limitations on the global stage. For those who want an expanded Copa Libertadores with MLS and Mexican teams, insane midweek travel and guaranteed big losses for MLS teams, just watch the football – the CONCACAF Champions League is what we have and it has been getting more exciting every year.
This quarterfinal round has potential to be very entertaining. Liga MX teams are taking the tournament more seriously, as they don’t want to lose to MLS teams whom they perceive to be inferior. MLS teams are challenging for the title more earnestly each year as they add talent to their rosters and see the allure of defeating regional rivals in a cup competition. Inspiration for American and Canadian fans can come from unlikely sources, just like the Montreal Impact proved a year ago.
Will an MLS team get to the finals this year? Will one of the favorites crash out before then? Let’s take a look at each of the quarterfinal matchups.
D.C. United (2) vs. Querétaro (7)
D.C. gets the benefit of playing what is currently the weakest Mexican team in the bracket. Los Gallos Blancos are currently sitting 13th in the Clausura standings. However, they will be in midseason fitness and are not a bad squad despite their current form. United have made some significant moves this offseason, shipping out Conor Doyle to Colorado, while adding Patrick Nyarko from Chicago and the 21 year old Luciano Acosta on loan from Boca Juniors. Nyarko and Chris Rolfe are a pair who could have torn up this competition five years ago, and D.C. will hope they can recapture some chemistry from their Fire days. Likewise, if the Argentinean pair of Acosta and Fabian Espindola can build some chemistry quickly, D.C.’s chances will look much better.
US Soccer fans will hope for Luis Gil to get a run out, and join fellow American Jonathan Bornstein, who has been a fairly regular starter for Queretaro this season. One former MLS player who will not feature is Camilo Sanvezzo, who is recovering from a torn knee ligament and is out long-term. Los Gallos are managed by Victor Manuel Vucetich, who coached El Tri in 2013, and has far more experience managing teams in these situations than Ben Olsen does, having won three CCL titles with Monterrey. Expect D.C. to play defensive soccer in the first leg in Mexico, and try to get goals at home.
América (1) vs. Seattle (8)
Seattle Sounders had a tough job ahead of them already, and now must face the defending CCL Champions without their star striker, Obafemi Martins, who has moved to the Chinese Super League. This could leave the door open for Jordan Morris to make his eagerly anticipated Sounders debut in the biggest of matches. Clint Dempsey, Osvaldo Alonso and Brad Evans will have preseason fitness to deal with, and will face one of the deepest rosters in CONCACAF, with players like Dario Benedetto, Rubens Sambueza, Darwin Quintero, and Oribe Peralta just to name a few.
América’s manager, Ignacio Ambriz has come under fire recently and he will be expected to-and need to-win this series. Seattle has already had big home games in CCL and this one will be the biggest yet. If they can draw a good crowd to the first leg and keep it close, anything can happen on the turf at CenturyLink. If Seattle doesn’t get a win or draw in the first leg, this one could get ugly. US Soccer fans will be hoping Ventura Alvarado gets the start in this series, as he is trying to play his way back into the lineup for both las Águilas and Jürgen Klinsmann. America are clearly the favorite here and a Seattle victory in this round would be a serious blow to Ambriz’s tenure at the club.
Tigres UANL (6) vs. RSL (3)
Tigres are the defending Apertura champions, and reached the Copa Libertadores final– don’t be fooled by the 6 seed or their current form in Liga MX. RSL has a very hard job to do in this series. The performances of Burrito Martinez, Kyle Beckerman, and Javier Morales will be important. However, all of these players are over 30 and Joao Plata may play a bigger role than any of them. In addition, the offseason signing of Yura Movsisyan could be a sign that RSL is taking this series and this season seriously. They will need his goals to advance, as Tigres are likely to score some.
André-Pierre Gignac is leading Liga MX in goals and will be a huge test for the RSL backline. Jürgen Damm will also be a pest on the wing. Gringo Torres will likely feature for at least some of the series. Tuca Ferretti’s men will be ready to play and are always professional and disciplined. This matchup could come down to who wins the midfield battles – Beckerman, Morales, and Martinez up against Jesus Dueñas, Damm, and whichever other midfielders get the nod as Ferretti may rotate his roster for these games. Tigres are the favorite, but RSL will keep this closer than many think.
LA Galaxy (5) vs. Santos Laguna (4)
Is this the final season for Bruce Arena in LA? It seems he is going for as many trophies as possible this year. The Galaxy have gone all in, building a roster to win games immediately. Their offseason signings Ashley Cole, Nigel De Jong, and Jelle Van Damme all have significant experience in Europe. Mike Magee and Jeff Larentowicz are veteran additions who know how to win games. With Gyasi Zardes, Robbie Keane, and Giovanni dos Santos up top, they may be considered favorites to beat Santos.
Los Guerreros are currently 8th in Liga MX. Still, Santos have some dangerous players who will be looking to burn the Galaxy in transition. Andrés Renteria, Djaniny, and Javier Orozco can take advantage of the aging Galaxy midfield and defense, especially given the MLS club’s preseason form. Jorge Villafaña has also locked down a starting spot at fullback and will provide scouting reports on all his former Western Conference opponents. While this matchup is probably the only one where an MLS team is favored to advance, it is by no means a sure thing for LA. They must be careful, and keep a clean sheet at home, if they want to move on to the semifinals. Many of their players will be gone next year, either retired or moved on, and this is their moment to make a run. If they win CCL, they will also be favored to win MLS Cup.
