CCL Semifinals Conclude This Week

Perhaps 'Final Four' is a fitting theme for the week as March Madness comes to a conclusion Monday and Tuesday evening in the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments while the CONCACAF Champions League completes the Semifinal stage with its second leg matches Tuesday and Wednesday south of the border.

On Tuesday, Real Salt Lake defends a 2-0 series lead in Costa Rica against powerhouse Saprissa followed by Wednesday’s all-Mexican showdown in which two-time CCL finalist Cruz Azul hosts Monterrey, which leads the series 2-1. Tuesday's tilt will air at 10 pm ET on Fox Soccer Channel with Wednesday's airing at 8 pm ET. The RSL-Saprissa series winner will host the second leg of the Championship series set for April 19 & 26.

Saprissa is one of the dominant clubs in Costa Rica, but at home in the Champions League the side has not been exactly invincible with a 6-2-2 record over the past three years. This year, however, Saprissa is unbeaten at home at 3-1-0 thus far but the road results (2-0-3) have left them in a precarious situation, worsened by the fact that three players from the first leg are suspended for the second and a fourth is out due to injury.

The Major League Soccer portion of the record is a large reason for the poor results as the club is 1-1-1 against MLS. The victory over Seattle in group play last fall was its first after previously losing at home, 1-0, to the Columbus Crew in group play the previous year and drawing 1-1 against the visiting DC United in group play of the tournament’s inaugural edition.

Overall, in three years Saprissa is only 3-2-2 against MLS opposition. Needing to make up a two-goal deficit, Saprissa will likely need to surpass its previous results which have never seen them score more than twice in any game versus an MLS club in the CCL with 2-0 being the largest margin of victory.  

The 2-0 loss in Utah snapped a seven-game win streak for Saprissa, six in league play and one over Olimpia in the CCL Quarterfinals. While the Costa Rican side may be coming off a scoreless draw on the weekend, going 2-2-0 during league play since the first leg, it has shut out its last three league opponents.

RSL, meanwhile, has only played twice since the last meeting, coming off a bye week over the weekend. The club downed California sides in consecutive meetings, edging San Jose 1-0 four days after the big first leg win. The following week they stunned the title-contender Galaxy 4-1.

In the other CCL Semifinal, Monterrey looks to continue its tournament dominance which has been nearly perfect with a record of 8-1-0, the lone draw ironically coming at the hands of Saprissa, 2-2, on the road. In league play, Monterrey is in the midst of a four-game unbeaten stretch (3-1-0), coming off a 1-1 draw on the road versus another CCL club, Toluca. Cruz Azul comes into the match on the heels of a 3-0 loss on the road in league play to fellow CCL participant Santos Laguna, snapping a five-game unbeaten run (3-2-0).

Report from Ives Galarcep in Costa Rica - SBI [+]

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