Photo: Manuel Velásquez / Getty Images
For: EFE Updated 03 May 2022, 17: 11 pm EDT
After the draw 2-2 in the first leg in Mexico City, the Seattle Sounders and Pumas UNAM meet this Wednesday in the second leg of the final of the Concacaf Champions League with a slight advantage for the Americans for playing at home and in front of their fans.
Expected more than 16.000 people in the stands for this match to be played at Lumen Field in Seattle (USA) at from 04. local time (02.000 Thursday GMT).
The winner of this final, in which Since away goals are not counted for the tiebreaker, they will also qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup.
The Pumas went 2-0 up in last week’s game thanks to two goals from Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Dinenno, but the Sounders recovered in the second half and leveled the match with a brace from Uruguay’s Nicolás Lodeiro.
Seattle will appear in the final match on Wednesday with more rest since didn’t have to play this weekend in MLS.
Instead, the Mexican team lands in Seattle with high spirits after having defeated Pachuca 2-0 this Sunday, leader of the Closing tournament 2022, and thus have obtained the ticket for the repechage for a place in the quarterfinals.
The team led by the Argentine Andrés Lillini has a formidable week ahead of him since, in addition to the decisive match against the Sounders, on Sunday they will face Chivas de Guadalajara in the Clausura playoff.
#Pumas 😾| Opinions of DT Andres Lillini prior to the final against Seattle.
“The illusion is great, it is a golden opportunity that we have won and not We want to let a very difficult rival pass on their court, but the opportunity is unique and we are prepared to win this final.pic.twitter.com/xJU8DQU8Nb
The Pumas look to Seattle for their fourth Concacaf Champions League title
after the ones he got in 100, 1982 Y 1989 when it was still called the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Their last appearance in the final does not bring good memories for their fans, since the Costa Rican Saprissa defeated them in 2005.
That was the last time that Mexican soccer lost the tournament, which since then has chained 16 victories in this contest.
For their part, the Sounders can make history by becoming the first MLS team to win the Concacaf Champions League since 2008 replaced the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Four MLS teams have since reached the final without achieving the win: Real Salt Lake (2015), Montreal Impact (2015), Toronto FC (2018), and LAFC (2021).
Before the appearance of the Champions League, two American teams were proclaimed winners of the Champions Cup: DC United ( 1998) and the LA Galaxy (2000).
The Sounders have focused all their efforts on winning this title and have put aside an MLS in which they have not achieved good results so far, They occupy the twelfth position of the Western Conference with 7 points.
- Probable lineups:
Seattle Sounders: Stefan Frei; Alexander Roldán, Yeimar Gómez, Xavier Arreaga, Nouhou Tolo; Joao Paulo Mior, Albert Runak, Cristian Roldán; Nicolás Lodeiro, Jordan Morris and Raúl Ruidíaz.
Coach: Brian Schmetzer.Pumas UNAM : Alfredo Talavera; Jesús Rivas, Arturo Ortiz, Nicolás Freire, Efraín Velarde; Favio Álvarez, Leonel López, Higor Meritao, Diogo de Oliveira; Rogerio and Juan Ignacio Dinenno.
Coach: Andrés Lillini.Referee: Said Martinez (Honduras).
Stadium: Lumen Field in Seattle (USA)
Time: 19.00 local (02.00 GMT).
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