Last Round of CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage This Week

On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings the last games of the CONCACAF Group stage rounds will be played. With only one game remaining for each team, only two clubs, the Seattle Sounders and Mexico’s Santos Laguna, have clinched advancement to the elimination round, while only two other sides, CD Motagua of Honduras and Costa Rica’s Herediano, have been eliminated from advancement.  That leaves twelve sides scrambling this week for the six remaining spots in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals.

Although the Sounders will advance, they can finish first in their group after finishing last in their group in the 2010-2011 CONCACAF CL competition by beating or drawing at home against last year’s champions, the Rayados of Monterrey. Monterrey have skidded in their last six domestic league matches, winning only one, but according to Monterrey Sporting Director Luis Miguel Salvador, only injured Aldo de Nigris among the team’s regulars will not make the trip to the Pacific Northwest. 

“We need everyone. Nobody can get off the boat or jump, and right now all we need is to be more united and stronger when we have to be,” Salvador told La Aficion.com. “To the extent that we have options, that should help. We must close ranks and strengthen us to pull this off.”  Monterrey could win Group D by defeating Seattle Tuesday. The Rayados need a confidence-boost as they are tied for the last Apertura Mexican Primera Division playoff spot with four other teams — a position unacceptable to their fans.

Seattle hosts Monterrey Tuesday night at 10:00 pm EDT (Fox Soccer Channel), preceded by the FC Dallas – Toronto FC (FSC) and Morelia – Alajuelense matches, which kick off at 8:00 pm Tuesday. On Wednesday, Santos Laguna host the Colorado Rapids at 8:00 pm EDT (FSC), while the Pumas – Tauro match and the Herediano – Comunicaciones (Galavision) contest both start at 10:00 pm EDT. On Thursday, El Salvador club Metapan host Real Espana (Galavision) at 8:00 pm while CD Motagua look for their only tournament win as they host the Galaxy at 10:00 pm EDT (FSC, Galavision).  Games are also available on CONCACAF website.

After five group stage matches, Alajuelense have the best record, with 12 points accumulated.  Santos Laguna have the highest goal differential, a plus 8.  The tournament’s leading scorers this season are Oribe Peralta and Darwin Quintero, both of Santos Laguna, along with Herediano’s Jorge Barbosa, each with four goals.  The leading scorer from an MLS side is Toronto FC’s Ryan Johnson, with three tallies.

Here are the final game scenarios as twelve clubs battle for six places this week,  from the CONCACAF website.

Group A

Morelia
• Defeats Alajuelense; OR
• Draws with Alajuelense AND Motagua defeats or draws with LA Galaxy
Alajuelense
• Defeats or draws with Morelia; OR
• Motagua defeats or draws with LA Galaxy
LA Galaxy
• Defeats Motagua; OR
• Draws with Motagua AND Alajuelense defeats Morelia

Group B

Santos Laguna
• Clinched group title
Colorado
• Defeats Santos; OR
• Metapán and Real España draw
Isidro Metapán
• Defeats Real Espana AND Santos defeats or draws with Colorado
Real España
• Defeats Isidro Metapan AND Santos defeats or draws with Colorado

Group C

Pumas
• Defeats or draws with Tauro
Dallas
• Defeats Toronto; OR
• Draws with Toronto AND Pumas defeats or draws with Tauro
Toronto
• Defeats Dallas
Tauro
• Defeats Pumas AND Dallas draws with Toronto

*If Tauro defeats Pumas, and Dallas and Toronto draw, all teams will finish with eight points, in which case final positions will be determined by goal difference. Going into the final round, Pumas leads with a plus-5, Tauro zero, Dallas minus-2 and Toronto minus-3.

Group D

Seattle
• Qualified
Monterrey
• Defeats OR draws with Seattle; OR
• Herediano defeats or draws with Comunicaciones
Comunicaciones
• Defeats Herediano AND Seattle defeats Monterrey

The Seattle Sounders and LA Galaxy have already qualified for next year’s Champions League tournament that begins in the summer.  Seattle qualifies due to its Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup win, while the Galaxy are booked for next year’s competition as they clinched the 2011 MLS Supporters Shield.  The other two MLS sides to be drawn into next year’s 24 teams field will be filled by the MLS Cup champion and runnerup. A fifth MLS side is likely in next year’s tournament if Toronto FC, the Vancouver Whitecaps or the Montreal Impact win the Canadian Nutrilite Championship, which will include NASL side FC Edmonton, next spring.