CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals: RSL, Crew Tied; Cruz Azul Leads 2-0

It’s not a stretch to say that the Crew performed much better than many expected, and not just because they were a man up for more than 30 minutes. The Crew generated the better scoring chances and, if not for some regrettable misses, could have easily been heading to Rio Tinto Stadium with a lead. There’s no question RSL will need better if they are going to advance.

Cruz Azul were the superior side for the vast majority of this match and their 2-0 first leg victory was well deserved; if anything, Santos Laguna were lucky to not have surrendered a third.

After a first half which saw both side defend sloppily but fail to capitalize on the miscues of their opponents, Cruz Azul came out firing in the second half. Javier Orozco put Azul ahead 58 minutes in and Christian Giménez doubled the lead just ten minutes later. Both goals were assisted in large part by some very poor effort at the back by Santos Laguna but their was some excellent play from Cruz Azul in the buildup as well; Orozco’s goal came after a stunning, weaving run from the edge of the box to the end line by Javier Aquino while Giménez was the recipient of a slick through ball from Emmanuel Villa that found him alone in acres of space.

Just ten minutes after Javier Orozco put Cruz Azul ahead, Christian Giménez added a second to give his side a solid cushion ahead of the second leg at Estadio Corona.

It was yet another moment of sloppy defending that led to the goal from Giménez, with Santos Laguna’s offside trap picked apart expertly by Emmanuel Villa, pouncing on a loose ball in midfield and sending a lovely ball through to Giménez. With only the keeper to beat, Giménez chipped towards the top right corner and though Sánchez was able to divert the ball’s flight, it wasn’t enough to keep the ball out.

After a tentative start to the second half by both sides, Javier Aquino’s brilliant run from the edge of the box through what seemed to be the entirety of the Santos defense gave him the space needed to pick out Javier Orozco in the center of the box. The striker finished easily and Cruz Azul have finally taken advantage of the shoddy defending that has plagued Santos all evening.

It was the culmination of a period of dominance from Cruz Azul, who traded blows with Santos in the first half but now find themselves well and truly in the driver’s seat in this contest. A 1-0 loss in this leg would be far from disastrous for Santos, but if they hope to keep things that close they’ll need to find a way to keep a lot more possession and tighten things up quite a bit at the back.

Cruz Azul and Santos Laguna end the first half even at 0-0, and though some shoddy work at the back from both teams has opened the door, neither side has been able to capitalize. Cruz Azul has enjoyed the better of the play and came very close to scoring with a free-kick from Christian Giménez going just wide of the post. The free kick came after a very soft yellow was given to Santos defender Felipe Baloy.

Moments later, Cruz Azul captain Gerardo Torrado was booked for simulation when he went down with very minimal contact in the box after a challenge from Santos keeper Oswaldo Sánchez. While the reaction at Estadio Azul was the less than favorable, replays clearly showed that any contact was minor and likely induced by Torrado.

RSL now finds itself in a potentially tricky position. RSL will likely be forced to play for a 0-0 tie, but with away goals being the first tiebreaker in CCL competition, that could leave them at a potential disadvantage heading back to Rio Tinto Stadium. That game will be played on March 2.

To their credit, though, RSL has continued to attack in the 10 minutes or so after Beltran’s second yellow card. They have also been forced to fend of some dangerous opportunities from the Crew.

It’s tough to say who should be feeling better about themselves at this point. On one hand, the Crew have looked to be the livelier team and have had the better opportunities. On the other, RSL would probably be perfectly happy to head home tied. Their defense has also looked strong in the middle and the Crew are likely going to be forced to do any damage they can muster from the wings.

The Crew, it is worth noting, have generally had the better of the play. Aside from a few moments of obvious miscommunication, they have looked much better than you’d expect from a side that has never played a competitive match together. RSL has not looked bad, but just have not been able to really generate much.

Earlier in the day, the field was covered in snow, and although the field has been cleared, it still looks very icy. It’s hard to blame fans for not wanting to come out, but this is not the kind of thing officials were undoubtedly hoping to see as MLS and CONCACAF try to make this seem like a more prestigious tournament.

The good news, if there is any, is that the Crew’s supporters’ section does look relatively robust considering the conditions. They’ve been easily heard during introductions and could very well be chanting throughout the match if for no other reason than it’s the best way to stay warm. RSL officials have said they expect between 12,000-14,000 for the second leg on March 2.