Liveblog 2nd leg of CCC semifinal #2

Welcome to the 2nd leg of the other CONCACAF Champions' Cup semifinal between Houston Dynamo and Deportivo Saprissa.  It's all up to the Dynamo to keep the MLS flag flying in international competition, but they'll have a stiff task against a tough rival in an intimidating environment.  Worse, the Dynamo will be missing as many as four first-choice players.

I believe this match will start at the top of the hour.  In the meantime you can read previews at the Houston Chronicle and Costa Rica's Nación. 

This match is supposed to be played under tight security measures after the club was fined for incidents during and after the quarterfinal tie against Atlante.  Given recent history involving Saprissa and Costa Rican clubs, they're very fortunate that this match isn't being played behind closed doors.

I saw a bit of the pregame shots of Saprissa stadium.  It looks packed.  And very noisy.

Teams are out on the field...it's time for the Dynamo to enter Hell.

First half. Houston to kick off.  An electric atmosphere on the artificial turf in Saprissa!

• Houston's going to have to cope with the fast moving ball on the turf -- the strikers, but especially the back line.
• 4': Oh this is not good...Craig Waibel may have injured his hamstring muscle and has left the field for treatment.  If he has to be substituted Houston will really be up against it.
• 6':  Houston substitution. Brian Mullan comes on for Craig Waibel.
• Mullan's struggling with the pace of the ball...his last two touches have gone wide.
• 10': A warning --  a cross from the left flank finds a Saprissa striker but he's flagged for offside.
• 13': Núñez whips in a cross on the left and finds Gómez who manages to head over the bar!  It really should have been 1-0 to Saprissa.
• Fifteen minutes in, and Houston's starting to feel a little more comfortable with the ball on the turf.  Too many giveaways in the center of the field, though.  The crowd has settled in for what looks to be an interesting game against two evenly-matched rivals.
• Twenty five minutes in, and it's still 0-0.  But Saprissa have a corner, which is cleared away.
• 29':  I was thinking to myself that DeRosario needed to be involved more, but he got involved and sent in a pass that was too heavy and rolled past the end line.  Houston's really struggling with through balls in the final third.
• 30':  Arrieta sends in a cross from the left to Gómez, who gets his head to it but the ball falls wide of the far post.
• 35':  GOAL Saprissa.  Alonso takes a shot from outside the right side of the penalty area which would probably have been saved, it takes a deflection off Ianni's left foot, and the ball rolls under a sprawling Caig into the back of the net.  Alonso is running to the Saprissa crowd in celebration, but it really should go down as an own goal by Ianni.   Saprissa 1-0 Houston
• Tough luck for Houston, who were really playing well, despite an inability to put together chances in the final third.
• 42': While I think Houston's holding their own and are still in the tie, they don't look like scoring from open play.  And they're not putting enough pressure on the Saprissa defenders to draw attacking free kicks.
• And Brian Dunseth's analysis has been very good so far...hope to hear a lot more of him and a lot less of Paul Caligiuri.
• 45': And the first scoring opportunity of the first half for the Dynamo.  DeRosario slid off to the right to maintain possession, lays it off to Caraccio who finds open space on the left side of the penalty area, but his shooting angle is too acute and his shot becomes a cross.

Halftime.  Saprissa 1-0 Houston.  Saprissa took the lead off a fortunate deflection, but Houston have battled well in difficult circumstances and are still in the game.  Now if they can put together some effective combinations in the final third, the match could get interesting.

• Second half. Saprissa kick off.
• I apologize for missing the start of the second half, but there's already been a goal.  They're showing the replays, and the ball was bouncing around the top of the box, but not a single Houston boot could get to it, and it made its way to Celso Borges who lashed it into the net.  Now it's Saprissa 2-0 Houston, and the Dynamo are just about down and out.
• 56': Saprissa are more fluid on the ball, and Barrantes should have finished from in front of the area, but his curling shot flew wide of the upper corner.
• 64': A lapse by Navas allows the ball to bounce to Ching, who hits it very well but Havas recovers to make an excellent save.
• 67': Saprissa substitution.  Walter Centeno for Ronald Gómez.
• Looks like Campos is moving to a slightly more defensive position...Centeno is very capable of attacking, though.
• 73': Saprissa are more than content to slow the game down.
• 75':  Brad Davis has entered the field for the Dynamo.  I didn't catch who got substituted out.
• 77': Dynamo had some pressure on the Saprissa net; two scoring chances go begging, and Saprissa clear away.
• 78':  GOAL Saprissa.  It's all over now. A through ball gets to Javier Arrieta on the right between the defensive line and the 'keeper, Caig leaves his line to challenge but is unsuccessful, and Arrieta round Caig and slots the ball into the net.  Saprissa 3-0 Houston
• So it looks like another Mexican-Costa Rican matchup in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup final...the two most successful countries in the competition.   It's only fitting that the Champions' Cup ends that way.
• 85':  The Dynamo are still making forays upfield, but any goal for them will merely be a consolation.
• 86':  Saprissa substitution.  Manfred Russell for Michael Barrantes.
• Jeaustin Campos is carrying out his youth policy -- at least five players on the field are under 21.
• And the cameraman is amusing himself with shots of some very comely female football fans, but action quickly moves to another cam.  Directors are such killjoys sometimes.
• 90': Into stoppage time, and Saprissa is just minutes away for their fourth Champions' Cup final.  The crowd is making itself heard.

Full time.  Saprissa 3-0 Houston.  Saprissa advance to the CONCACAF Champions' Cup final against Pachuca.  The Costa Rican side will host the first leg in about two weeks' time and series will conclude in Mexico a week later.   Basically, Houston did not take advantage of their local conditions, while Saprissa took full advantage of theirs. 

Continued improvement by the MLS clubs in this competition, but once again they fall at the semifinal hurdle.  MLS will have to wait for the Champions' League for continental glory.

Comments

[Eric]

I think they'll have to wait even longer than that. With these competitions apparently pretty much set to take place when MLS teams are still getting their legs, it will be a very long time before any MLS team has the luck and a deep enough bench to do anything.