In a momentous night for the club, Sounders FC made their first appearance in the CONCACAF Champions League proper in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. While La Furia Verde (Club Deportivo Marathon) emerged 2-1 victors, Seattle didn’t look entirely out of their element. (Watch full match here, requires free sign up.)
I love CONCACAF matches.
The empty stadium bowls, pre-match antics (including spies and questions over stadium availability) and roughshod pitches (not to mention playing styles) strike me as uniquely representative of our American hemisphere. For me, this international club competition is a more important barometer than the US National Team when looking at where the United States falls as a footballing nation. Mexico knows they’re the best. Central American leagues want to prove they stack up with the Mexican giants — and most importantly that they’re still better than the gringos del norte. Sounders (and I suppose the three other MLS teams in the tournament) are here to prove those days are long gone. Let’s shift United States dominance in Latin America from the social-political realm to the social-sport realm. I want to show that our clubs are better supported, better organized (ok, that one’s easy), and juegan futbol mas bonita de ellos.
The glitz and glamor UEFA’s Champions League may be an ocean away, but the intense competition brought about by fighting for international prestige has elbowed up in our backyard.
As the first round of games in the group stage is now complete, MLS fared very well with the three sides playing at home winning. Toronto even beat Cruz Azul (Mexico). Next week Mexico’s Monterrey visit Qwest, the strongest team in Group C, and it’s our turn to surprise.
Current Standings:
GROUP C
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marathón | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| Monterrey | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| Seattle | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| Saprissa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
If nothing else, the club and supporters will enjoy the minimum of five more matches come in this international foray. Here’s to a lively, large crowd (some people still don’t get it) and success against a very strong Monterrey-bies side.
