CONCACAF Champions League: Moreila, FC Dallas Triumph In 1st First Leg

Although they had to endure some nervy moments towards the end of the game, Dallas held out. They’ll take home a 1-0 lead, and a huge advantage in their quest to qualify for the group stages of the CONCACAF Champions League.

That was all to change after the hour mark, when Tempete goalkeeper Guerry Romondt fouled Miguel Sabah in the penalty area. It wasn’t a red-card worthy offence, but it was a penalty, and Sabah picked himself up and slammed home from the spot. If 1-0 didn’t break the visitors’ resolve, 2-0 certainly did, and within 15 minutes had conceded three times more, with Angel Sanchez, Joao Rojas and Jaime Lozano all finding the scoresheet.

It’d be nice to say that Tempete have some sort of chance of overturning the deficit at home. That’s not true for two reasons: The first is that they’re nowhere near good enough, and the second is because the second leg is also being played in Mexico due to Tempete’s stadium still being unusable thanks to the Haiti earthquake. Rough.

Santos Laguna and Olimpia entered the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League preliminary round tie on complete opposite ends of the strategy spectrum. Santos played to attack at every opportunity in their home leg. They wanted to win by multiple goals. Meanwhile, Olimpia played with six at the back and all the wanted was a scoreless draw. It was Santos who won out, scoring three, but despite Olimpia’s failings at the back they did score a goal. That left the scoreline at 3-1 heading to Honduras next week, which isn’t bad considering a 2-0 win will put them through to the group stage.

For most of the first half Santos were frustrated. They couldn’t break their Honduran opponents down and didn’t really threaten the Olimpia goal all half. That is, expect for one fantastic play by Oribe Peralta. He was played in behind the Olimpia defense and just barely got there before the defender. He didn’t have much time though, as he was quickly shoved to the turf, but on the way down he somehow managed to poke the ball past the keeper and in for the opening tally.

All of a sudden things don’t look so bad for Olimpia. Their strategy in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League preliminary stage tie was to shackle Santos Laguna and worry about scoring goals at home. Then Santos went out and scored three goals to go in front 3-0. Olimpia seemed to be down and out, just another in a long line of CONCACAF teams done in by a Mexican squad, but Brayan Beckeles has scored to get Olimpia a vital goal.

When Olimpia could have given up they decided to press forward for the first time all match. They forced Santos back and got enough space on the right to cross. The ball flew all the way across to the far post where Beckeles was waiting completely unmarked. He nodded the ball back across goal and in to make it 3-1 Santos.

Quintero’s goal came just two minutes after Rodriguez made it 2-0 in another shock to Olimpia. The striker got a high ball played up to him and he took a great first touch to settle it, then off of the bounce he ripped a great shot from 25 yards. The ball beat the keeper and just squeezed inside the post for the goal that has put Santos in complete control of the tie.

Olimpia’s strategy to throw men behind the ball and keep Santos Laguna off of the scoreboard isn’t going so well anymore. They gave up a first half goal and has now given up another in the second half as Santos has jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League preliminary stage tie. The goal came from a penalty as Juan Rodriguez stepped up and finished for the lead.

The penalty was awarded because of a Oliver Morazan hand ball that the referee was right on to whistle. The referee also showed Morazan a yellow card. Rodriguez’s penalty wasn’t very good as he tried to go down the middle, but it wasn’t very much down the middle. Donis Escober dove early, but reached back and was able to get a hand to the penalty. Unfortunately for the Hondurans, he didn’t get enough of a hand to it and it went in for the goal.

If it weren’t for a single play by Oribe Peralta then the first leg of this CONCACAF Champions League preliminary stage would be going exactly as Olimpia wanted it to. They’re playing with six defenders and doing everything possible to get out of Mexico with the chance to advance to the group stage in next week’s second leg at home. Olimpia has defended well, forcing Santos into attempting many overly ambitious shots from distance, while occasionally going forward with a chance of their own. Then, Peralta had to go out and ruin it with a great goal to put Santos in front 1-0 at halftime.

As much as Santos is trying to generate some sort of an attack, they just can’t break Olimpia down. Olimpia are organized and while unentertaining, they are committed to making this a match played 35 yards from goal. It’s been successful too and Santos spent most of the first half visibly frustrated.

Olimpia are trying their hardest not to give up a goal. They’re playing six defenders, are dropping back whenever possible and are overly cautious going forward. In the first leg of this two-legged tie versus Santos Laguna in the CONCACAF Champions League preliminary stage, all Olimpia wants to do is keep Santos off the scoreboard at home. Mission, failed. Oribe Peralta ruined Olimpia’s hopes at getting a scoreless draw in Mexico with a fantastic finish that puts Santos ahead 1-0 after 29 minutes.

It wasn’t particularly poor defending that gave Santos their goal. Peralta made a good run from deep as he tried to get in behind the Olimpia defense. He is faster than anyone Olimpia has on the back line, but Olimpia did well to run with Peralta and make things difficult. While Peralta got to the ball first, he was being shoved off the ball immediately, but while falling to the turf he poked the ball just past the keeper for a very good goal that puts Santos in front.

Normally, Mexican teams roll through whoever they’re up against in the CONCACAF Champions League preliminary stage. Last year the two Mexican teams won their two-legged aggregate ties by a combined score of 15-2 so the preliminary stage isn’t usually a concern at all. It might be for Santos Laguna this year though because they were drawn against Olimpia, who are historically the top side in Honduras and last year beat out Toluca for the top spot in their Champions League group.

In this first leg it is clear that Olimpia are going for the draw, playing six natural defenders. If they can get out of this without a goal against them, they will go home next week looking to upset their Mexican opponents. Keeping Santos scoreless will be tough though considering the attacking look they are going with at home. They’re clearly looking to not just get on the scoreboard, but get a few with seven players who will all look to get forward whenever the opportunity presents itself.

TFC were undoubtedly the better side in the first half, but that doesn’t mean they were good. Esteli were horrendous, showing a complete inability to complete even the simplest of passes and Toronto took advantage by dominating possession. Unfortunately for the fans in attendance at BMO Field and even more empty seats who had to watch, the Reds couldn’t do anything with their possession. They gave the ball away, lacked any sort of imagination in the final third and looked like anything but a professional side.

It took just 10 minutes of second half play for something that finally resembled quality though. After gathering a loose ball on the left and just 12 yards from goal, Plata started towards the middle before cutting back towards the sideline and leaving his defender int he dust. The onrushing keeper did his best to close off the sharp angle, but Plata managed to get the ball past him and into the goal for the opening tally of the match.

*Although they were denied a penalty for handball in the box with fifteen minutes to go.

Sigi Schmid’s side is going to have to play siginificantly better at Qwest Field in order to achieve qualification to the group stages. Generating chances would probably be a good idea for the second leg, for starters. Then again, maybe they don’t want to qualify at all - their group looks difficult enough that it would be completely understandable if the Sounders didn’t want to bother with the whole charade at all.

As the 2011-2012 competition gets underway the question is whether or not the shift will continue or whether Mexico will be as dominant as they have ever been. The first round of competition, the preliminary stage, is unlikely to determine much in the way of power because most of the ties are mismatches, but it is the beginning of a competition that is gaining in stature, even if it remains well behind Copa Libertadores and isn’t even in the same stratosphere as the UEFA Champions League.

It all gets underway on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with the first legs of the two-legged preliminary stage that will determine the final eight teams that qualify for the group stage. Two teams from Mexico, the U.S., Honduras and El Salvador are in this round of the competition as well one team from eight other countries.