Tomorrow starts the final edition of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, with matches on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Below are the previews of the matches -- I'll start with the match to be played tomorrow and complete the remaining previews tomorrow night.
The kickoff times are listed in Mountain Standard Time (Arizona doesn't have Daylight Savings Time).
Motagua vs. Pachuca
11 March, 1700 MST
Referee: Elmar Rodas (Guatemala)
This is one of the most highly-anticipated club matches in Honduras for several years. Tickets at the National Stadium have been going very quickly, and a sellout crowd is expected. Motagua are the Central American club champions but they have a big challenge on their hands as they try to put aside their current slide in form -- three consecutive losses in the Honduran league. Motagua's success in this match will depend a lot on the interaction between Amado Guevara and the front-line players, especially the Brazilian Jocimar Nascimiento. Pachuca has brought their full squad to Honduras, with their mix of Colombian and Argentine talent as well as the outstanding Mexican striker Juan Carlos Cacho. It's the combination of talent and experience that gives the Mexican side a very good chance of another road win in international competition.
Harbour View vs. DC United
12 March, 1700 MST
Referee: Philip Jordan (T&T)
DC United gets a 17-day headstart on their soccer season when they travel to Kingston for the opening leg of the Champions' Cup quarterfinal. Harbour View are the reigning champions of Jamaican football, but their current season has been inconsistent (5th place in the NPL). The Champions' Cup is their best hope for honors as the CONCACAF Champions League may be beyond their grasp. Their task is made more difficult by the suspension of captain Christopher Harvey, but Fabian Taylor (ex-MetroStars) and Kavin Bryan are back in the lineup. For DC United, there are a number of questions heading into their first competitive match. Can their recent South American signings make an immediate impact? Can Tom Soehn create a lineup that blends the new and current members of the squad effectively? Will the Gonzo defense be an improvement on last year's backline? They've tried to keep preparations under wraps, but Wednesday night everyone will see where they are.
Municipal vs. Houston Dynamo
12 March, 1900 MST
Referee: Edgar Rodríguez (Costa Rica)
This match is a rematch of sorts -- Municipal faced a number of these players in 2003 when they were the San Jose Earthquakes, and won 5-4 on aggregate. Several of the protagonists will be on the field or sidelines tonight, including Dwayne DeRosario and Dominic Kinnear for Houston and Juan Carlos Plata (at 37!) for Municipal. The losers of two straight matches, the Rojos have not played well as of late in the Guatemalan Clausura and their manager sees weaknesses in their errant passing and lack of scoring punch. However, the Dynamo have yet to play a competitive match (no, I'm not counting that tournament in San Antonio) and have arrived in Guatemala City with an 17-man roster, the smallest of the eight teams in the Champions' Cup. The transfer market has seen Joseph Ngwenya and Nate Jaqua leave, who have been replaced by a South American signing and a player promoted from the reserves. Add injuries, family additions, and Olympic committments, and Kinnear will be very short of options. The two things to hope for are a tight scoreline, and no knocks to the players.
Atlante vs. Saprissa
13 March, 2000 MST
Referee: Carlos Batres (Guatemala)
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