CONCACAF CHAMPIONS CUP
Which teams can Club América play in the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-finals?
Las Águilas made it through on aggregate against Chivas, despite losing at the Estadio Azteca.
Club América sealed their ticket to the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Champions League. The side lost to Chivas at the Azteca Stadium (2-3) but defeated them on aggregate (5-3) thanks to a thrashing in the first leg.
We saw a double-legged tie of completely different matches and in the second leg, where things did not go well for Las Águilas. Although André Jardine and his side went through to the next round, Chivas showed a different side and now have a more promising outlook on their situation ahead of the Clásico Nacional that awaits them.
América, for their part, are focussed on the potential opponent that they could come up against. CONCACAF scheduling means that it won’t be long until they find out their rival for the next round, and the way that the tournament has been organised means that they will face the winner between Alajuelense and New England Revolution.
New England Revolution set to get past Alajuelense
As happened in the first of the matches between Las Águilas and Chivas, the football played on the pitch between Alajuelense and New England Revolution showed a shocking disparity in levels of the two teams.
The MLS team thrashed the Costa Rican side 4-0, with goals from Nicolás Lima, Esmir Bajraktarević and a brace from Tomás Chancalay. Unless something drastic happens to the side at the bottom of the Eastern Conference (0 points from 3), everything points to the Revolution being the team to make it to the quarter-finals of the continental tournament.
It is worth mentioning that this defeat caused a domino effect that ended up connecting back with Liga MX, as Alajuelense’s loss to New England Revolution actually benefited Puebla. Andrés Cerevic was dismissed as coach of Alajuelense and soon turned up at La Franja. The new coach of Alajuelense will be former midfielder for the national team, Alexandre Guimarães, who will take charge in time for the second leg on Thursday 14.
At the moment, since goal difference will be a deciding factor, the venues have not yet been confirmed and we do not know which stadium(s) will host the quarter-finals. However, the matches have already been agreed and scheduled; the first leg of the upcoming phase will be from April 2 to 4, while the second leg is scheduled from April 9 to 11.