The CONCACAF Champions Cup moves into the semifinals this week with both first-leg games being played on U.S. soil.
The defending MLS champion Houston Dynamo hosts Pachuca on Wednesday at Robertson Stadium (TV: Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Espanol, live, 8:30 pm ET), while D.C. United takes on Guadalajara Thursday at RFK Stadium (TV: Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Espanol, live, 8 pm ET).
This marks the first time in the 46-year history of the CONCACAF club championship that American and Mexican teams have squared off in both semifinals.
Houston prepped for Wednesday's test with a camp at the Home Depot Center, where they played three games in the last 10 days. Canadian stars Dwayne De Rosario and Pat Onstad, who were both injured in the quarterfinal series against Puntarenas, aren't expected to start against Pachuca. Venezuelan Alejandro Moreno should start for De Rosario, who may be limited to a short stint off the bench. Zak Wells could start again for Onstad in goal.
Houston will have be an underdog against Pachuca, the hottest team in Mexico. It won the 2006 Clausura last spring, reached the semifinals of the 2006 Apertura last fall and became the first Mexican club to win a South American trophy when it captured the Copa Sudamericana in December. The Tuzos lead their group in the 2007 Clausura by five points after nine games.
Like Pachuca, Chivas is riding high in Mexico, where it won the 2006 Apertura title in December and leads its group in the 2007 Clausura. Mexico international Omar Bravo leads Chivas with six goals in nine league games.
D.C. United demolished Honduran champion Olimpia in the quarterfinals, where Brazilian newcomer Luciano Emilio and Cristian Gomez scored three goals apiece for D.C. United's big concern is in goal, where Troy Perkins went off injured in the second leg of the series against Olimpia and was replaced by Jay Nolly, who was in goal for United's 4-2 friendly win over Honduran club Motagua in Miami last Friday night.
D.C. spent the last week doing two-a-days in South Florida. The intensified camp reflected the players' goal to do better than they did two years ago when D.C. tied UNAM, 1-1, at home but fell, 5-0, in Mexico City.
MLS clubs have a poor record against their Mexican counterparts. Only one MLS team, the Kansas City Wizards, has beaten a Mexican team in seven confrontations since the CONCACAF Champions Cup adopted home-and-home series for the knockout phase in 2002. MLS teams lost in Mexico, 5-0, 6-0 and 6-1 in three of the last four series. In the fourth series, Los Angeles fell to Necaxa, 2-1, on the road after falling, 4-1, at home.
D.C. United had success against Mexican clubs when the tournament was a single-game knockout competition. It beat Leon and Toluca to capture the 1997 title. D.C. tied Chivas, 2-2, in the third-place game in 1997, the first year MLS clubs took part in the regional competition.
MLS-MEXICO CONFRONTATIONS
1997 D.C. United-Guadalajara (third-place game) 2-2
1997 Los Angeles Galaxy-Cruz Azul (final) 3-5
1998 D.C. United-Leon (semifinals) 2-0
1998 D.C. United-Toluca (final) 1-0
1999 D.C. United-Necaxa (semifinals) 1-3
2000 D.C. United-Pachuca (third-place game) 1-2
2002 San Jose Earthquakes-Pachuca (quarterfinals) 0-3, 1-0
2002 Chicago Fire-Morelia (quarterfinals) 0-2, 2-1
2002 Kansas City Wizards-Santos (quarterfinals) 1-2, 2-0
2002 Kansas City Wizards-Morelia (semifinals) 1-6, 1-1
2003 Columbus Crew-Morelia (quarterfinals) 0-6, 2-0
2003 Los Angeles Galaxy-Necaxa (quarterfinals) 1-4, 1-2
2005 D.C. United-UNAM (semifinals) 1-1, 0-5
(winner in bold.)