Cruz Azul vs. Atlante and Chivas vs. Tigres headline the first night of the opening quarterfinal leg in Mexico!
Tigres, Chivas, Atlante, Cruz Azul, America, Pumas, Monterrey and Morelia are all in the hunt for the Clausura 2011 championship. Four matches will open up hostilities in the quarterfinals, as Guadalajara meet with UANL for the first salvo.
Monterrey and Pumas gives us a north vs. south matchup, while América and Morelia have their own storied history. Atlante and Cruz Azul round out the quartet of matches, putting two good teams head-to-head with similar attacking styles. Eight teams, one championship. Who will make it? Who will bow out?
It is by far not Mission Impossible. Merely, improbable. Ricardo Ferreti's Tigres have been tough on opposing offenses, building the league's best single season defense by allowing only nine goals in the entire Clausura 2011 campaign.
Chivas, with 23 goals in 17 matches, are not an offensive behemoth per se, but Marco Fabian and Erick Torres have exploded on the scene. Tigres' offense is led by the formidable quartet of Danilinho, Hector Mancilla, Lucas Lobos and Damian Alvarez, who in large measure helped to put up the 27 goals that Tigres scored in the current campaign.
Tigres finished the tournament in first place overall, with 35 of 51 points. Chivas, eighth in the table obtained 10 less points. Despite that, Tigres must be wary of Chivas' blend of youth and experience.
Compounding the dangerousness of Chivas' front line, the Tigres must also deal with one of the country's best goalkeepers, Luis Michel, guarding the Rebaño's back line.
If they can't get past Michel, they have another option - any draw, even a 0-0 after 180 minutes gives Tigres passage into the semifinals, by way of their better placement within the league table.
Cruz Azul have spent 14 years chasing an elusive title that has escaped their clutches on several occasions. Atlante, on the other hand - have been able to add a third banner to their rafters, by way of defeating Pumas back in 2007 for the Apertura championship.
The Blues will make due without their captain, Gerardo Torrado, who is injured and doubtful for the second leg as well. Atlante are without Luis Angel Landin, who is also injured.
Miguel Herrera, the Atlante manager, is still suspended after a tirade cost him three matches away from the touchline. Cruz Azul have won just one match in the last five they've faced. They must win and also convince fans that this is not the same team that has them accustomed to collapsing in the late stages of the tournament.
Christian Gimenez, Emanuel Villa and Jose de Jesus Corona are the key men for the Blues, who will find near mirror images in Christian Bermudez, Giancarlo Maldonado and Moises Muñoz on the Atlante side.
América and Morelia face each other at La Corregidora en Querétaro, following América ownership decision to lease the Estadio Azteca, the Eagles' usual home - to the Irish band U2.
América will play their third match in five days, as they took on Pumas in the season ender on Sunday, and hosted Santos do Brasil on Tuesday, picking up a 0-0 draw that unfortunately kicked them out of the playoffs.
Angel Reyna is not cleared to play the full 90 minutes, as the talented midfielder has been diagnosed with a light injury to his right leg. The rest of the América squad is indeed ready to take on the match against their "TV rivals", Morelia.
Morelia's attacking trio of Rafael Marquez Lugo, Miguel Sabah and Elias Hernandez has been nothing short of formidable in the Clausura 2011 campaign, as the men have combined for more than 60% of Morelia's goals this season.
Tomas Boy will look to hold América to a draw or steal a victory in order to go back to the Estadio Morelos with an advantage that would help them seal the series back in their building.
No word on whether injuries will keep anyone other than Mauricio Romero out for the visitors.
Monterrey and Pumas gives us a north vs. south matchup, while América and Morelia have their own storied history. Atlante and Cruz Azul round out the quartet of matches, putting two good teams head-to-head with similar attacking styles. Eight teams, one championship. Who will make it? Who will bow out?
It is by far not Mission Impossible. Merely, improbable. Ricardo Ferreti's Tigres have been tough on opposing offenses, building the league's best single season defense by allowing only nine goals in the entire Clausura 2011 campaign.
Chivas, with 23 goals in 17 matches, are not an offensive behemoth per se, but Marco Fabian and Erick Torres have exploded on the scene. Tigres' offense is led by the formidable quartet of Danilinho, Hector Mancilla, Lucas Lobos and Damian Alvarez, who in large measure helped to put up the 27 goals that Tigres scored in the current campaign.
Tigres finished the tournament in first place overall, with 35 of 51 points. Chivas, eighth in the table obtained 10 less points. Despite that, Tigres must be wary of Chivas' blend of youth and experience.
Compounding the dangerousness of Chivas' front line, the Tigres must also deal with one of the country's best goalkeepers, Luis Michel, guarding the Rebaño's back line.
If they can't get past Michel, they have another option - any draw, even a 0-0 after 180 minutes gives Tigres passage into the semifinals, by way of their better placement within the league table.
Cruz Azul have spent 14 years chasing an elusive title that has escaped their clutches on several occasions. Atlante, on the other hand - have been able to add a third banner to their rafters, by way of defeating Pumas back in 2007 for the Apertura championship.
The Blues will make due without their captain, Gerardo Torrado, who is injured and doubtful for the second leg as well. Atlante are without Luis Angel Landin, who is also injured.
Miguel Herrera, the Atlante manager, is still suspended after a tirade cost him three matches away from the touchline. Cruz Azul have won just one match in the last five they've faced. They must win and also convince fans that this is not the same team that has them accustomed to collapsing in the late stages of the tournament.
Christian Gimenez, Emanuel Villa and Jose de Jesus Corona are the key men for the Blues, who will find near mirror images in Christian Bermudez, Giancarlo Maldonado and Moises Muñoz on the Atlante side.
América and Morelia face each other at La Corregidora en Querétaro, following América ownership decision to lease the Estadio Azteca, the Eagles' usual home - to the Irish band U2.
América will play their third match in five days, as they took on Pumas in the season ender on Sunday, and hosted Santos do Brasil on Tuesday, picking up a 0-0 draw that unfortunately kicked them out of the playoffs.
Angel Reyna is not cleared to play the full 90 minutes, as the talented midfielder has been diagnosed with a light injury to his right leg. The rest of the América squad is indeed ready to take on the match against their "TV rivals", Morelia.
Morelia's attacking trio of Rafael Marquez Lugo, Miguel Sabah and Elias Hernandez has been nothing short of formidable in the Clausura 2011 campaign, as the men have combined for more than 60% of Morelia's goals this season.
Tomas Boy will look to hold América to a draw or steal a victory in order to go back to the Estadio Morelos with an advantage that would help them seal the series back in their building.
No word on whether injuries will keep anyone other than Mauricio Romero out for the visitors.
