Last week's games in the CONCACAF Champions League gave us a glimpse of what the final matches will be, but before we reach that stage, we have to determine the names of the teams that will reach the next round of the competition.
Luckily for us, and unluckily for those teams who lost, there were no draws in the previous leg, which will force those teams who were defeated to go out there looking to turn things around. One of those who lost will have a mammoth task in their hands, but the rest of the ties seem to be open for surprises and for comeback wins.
In terms of which leagues could dominate the next round, Liga MX clubs won two of the Quarterfinal ties, while LAFC defeated one of their MLS rivals in last week's games. If things continue their current course, we could see two teams from each of the best leagues in North America reaching the next stage.
Here's a glimpse on what to expect in this week's games.
2023 CONCACAF Champions League - Short preview for all games
Violette AC vs León - With the first leg ending with a 5-0 win for León, the dream of a semi-final spot for Violette AC may have to wait until next year. For this match, the main issue for the Mexican side will be trying to avoid any red cards so they can have their full squad for the next round. It would take a massive upset by Violette AC to reach the next round, but if they can rally up the way they did to beat Austin in the Round of 16, we could be in for an interesting game.
Los Angeles FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps - The 2022 MLS champions claimed a three-nil victory in the first leg against the Canadians, which gives them a good lead to reach the next round. However, the black and gold came close to being surprised by Alajuelense in the previous round and even lost the second leg in similar circumstances, which means that Steve Cherundolo's team will have to go out there in full focus to prevent more surprises. As for the Whitecaps, the team struggled in the previous round against Honduras' Real España when playing away from home, which means that this outing could be even worse for them considering the kind of talent they will be facing on Tuesday evening.
Atlas vs Philadelphia Union - The MLS club claimed a win in the first leg against Los Rojinegros, but that may not be enough guarantee to see them playing in the semis. Atlas came from behind in the previous round by scoring four uncontested goals against Olimpia, giving the Mexican side an ego boost that also helped them in their domestic competition. Now, with only one goal to overcome, we can expect an open tie between these teams where all bets will be off, especially if we consider the massive support Atlas will get from their home supporters.
Tigres UANL vs Motagua - The blue and gold team from the North side of Mexico claimed a narrow away win in the first leg, which may come in handy for their purposes despite having fired coach Marco Ruiz after a string of bad results in Liga MX. On the other hand, Motagua has shown their ability in previous Champions League games, which means that Tigres should not lay back and relax. This will be a hard-fought game, where coach Robert Dante Siboldi will start making Tigres great again, especially if we consider that the team will welcome its fourth coach in seven months.
2023 CONCACAF Champions League - Quarterfinals broadcast info (2nd leg)
Tuesday, 11 April | ||
Violette AC | ||
Los Angeles FC | ||
Wednesday, 12 April | ||
Atlas | ||
Thursday, 13 April | ||
Tigres UANL |