W Connection V Houston Dynamo August 20
The Dynamo kick off their Group 1 CONCACAF Champions League campaign with a trip to Trinidad & Tobago to face W Connection for the first time ever. With only three teams in each group and only the winners going through to the Quarter Finals a quick start is a must if you don’t want to put yourself behind the 8 ball. In their opening match the hosts traveled to Panama to face the other team in this group Arabe Unido. That was not a successful venture as they left empty handed after a 3-1 defeat. With the home side never having advanced from the group stages in the competitions present format a win here is vital for Houston to keep pace with Unido, who will be seem as their biggest challenger for group supremacy.
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LA Galaxy V Cartagines
LA start their CCL Group 8 fixtures with a home tie against Costa Rican side Cartagines. Making their bow in this years tournament they hit the ground running as they defeated Isidro Metapan in El Salvador 4-2 in their opening group match thanks mainly to a superb hat-trick by Pablo Herrera Barrantes. That result showed they are going to be no push-overs and currently posses three Costa Rica internationals in forward Randall Brenes, midfielder Mauricio Castillo, and former New York Red Bulls defender Carlos Johnson in their squad. With only four games in a group LA know anything but maximum points hands the initiative to the Costa Rican side with a tip to face them on the own ground still to come as well.
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Heredia V Montreal Impact August 21
Montreal are the only MLS side to play in both of the opening match days and after their opening Group 5 success over fellow MLS side San Jose Earthquakes by a single goal, are probably glad they are. This time they take a trip into the unknown as they head off to Guatemala to face Heredia who are tasting CCL action for the first time. Most of their squad is made up of players from Guatemala including former Columbus Crew midfielder Freddy García who won the US Open Cup with them in 2002. A win though for the Canadian outfit will put them in a commanding position to advance to the Quarter Finals.