The Basics
Club Deportivo Motagua (11-3-4, 36 points, 1st place 2010 Clausura; Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras) vs. Toronto FC (6-6-5, 23 points, 3rd place Eastern Conference) in the second leg of their preliminary-round series in the CONCACAF Champions League.
BROADCAST INFO
Game Intro
With Toronto FC winning only 1-0 at home in the first leg last week, a berth in the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League is still within reach for both teams. A Toronto win or draw will send the Reds through, while CD Motagua can advance to the group stage in their first Champions League appearance with a win by more than one goal.
The Honduran club has the decided homefield advantage with temperature, but may not necessarily have the crowd support as Toronto FC and Champions League competition doesn’t have the same drawing power as a league showdown with crosstown rivals CD Olímpia. Still, that won't make the hostile enviroment any easier on TFC.
"It's going to be like BMO [Field] with no rules," Julian de Guzman told Toronto FC TV last week. "It's unfortunate that at BMO, they have restrictions for the fans, and in Honduras, it will be like that with no restrictions. So you're gonna have bags of [urine] thrown at you, all types of things to distract us and hopefully help their side to get the result they want. But it's going to be a totally different atmosphere and something to prepare mentally for over the next couple of days."
CD Motagua
Coach Ramón Maradiaga refused to make inactivity an excuse after the first leg. But it’s easy to see that the two-and-a-half-month layoff between competitive matches was a big factor in Motagua’s subpar play. With game action under their belt and home-field advantage, Motagua should be better in the second leg at home in Tegucigalpa.
That factor, combined with a surmountable one-goal deficit, will give the team added confidence. Four of the team’s five World Cup players started the first leg, but were non-factors until the last 10 minutes, despite playing for Honduras at the World Cup just weeks earlier. One of those players, captain Amado Guevara, was substituted at halftime for poor play and will have to play better for Motagua to win the series.
Toronto FC
TFC come into the game amid a busy schedule and mired in a winless streak that grew to three games after a disappointing 1-0 loss at Kansas City last Saturday. Facing the dilemma of two critical games in quick succession, coach Preki rested starters Dwayne De Rosario and Chad Barrett in favor of Mista and Maicon Santos, only bringing them in around the 60th minute.
Despite their insertions, the team failed to generate any offense continuing a troubling trend that has seen the team struggle to not only finish chances but, against the Wizards, generate them. Both should start against Motagua and with some rest will look to spark the offense.
Toronto’s poor play away from home and brief respite after Saturday’s game are cause for concern, especially heading into a difficult environment. De Rosario and midfielder de Guzman have experience dealing with the conditions in Honduras while playing with the Canadian National Team, and will try to lead the team by example to a series win.
Heroes & Villains
Amado Guevara vs. Julian de Guzman, the sequel: As previously mentioned, the winner of the battle between these former teammates would likely give his respective team the advantage. That proved true as de Guzman had arguably one of his best games in a Reds uniform last week, commanding the midfield and showing the form that made him the MVP of the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Meanwhile, Guevara, despite coming off a World Cup campaign for Honduras, was a halftime substitute. The second leg should again come down to the battle between these two. Guevara will be motivated from his lackluster performance in the first leg, while de Guzman will look to draw on his experience handling the conditions in Honduras. If de Guzman has another strong performance and the team applies his advice, then Toronto will have a great chance to come away with the series.
Stat that makes you go “Hmm..."
Toronto have just one win away from home in eight MLS matches (1-6-1) this season.
