International competitions take center stage

By: Chris | April 18th, 2007

Three Mexican teams face important games tonight, as their attention will be diverted from the Clausura championship. Fear not, as all three teams have already qualified for the Clausura playoffs.

CONCACAF Champions Cup Final 1st Leg
Pachuca at Chivas Guadalajara - 9:35 p.m. EST - Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español

A berth to Japan will be on the line in this two-legged aggregate final. Both Pachuca and Chivas have been picked by most experts as the teams most likely to win the Clausura title, so to have these two teams meet twice in the span of a week is a real treat, and could go a long way to deciding who will be the favorite to take the domestic title.

Tonight’s prediction: Chivas 2, Pachuca 1

Chivas have played well at home in the competition, and need to take it to Pachuca to have a good chance of winning the title. A good crowd at the Jalisco would be nice, as it would be nice to see the fans take this competition as serious as the players are.

Copa Libertadores - Group Stage - Game 6 - El Nacional (Ecuador) at América
6:30 p.m. EST - Fox Sports en Español

América will be playing for their advancement into the Round of 16 tonight when they host bottom-feeding El Nacional.

The Águilas control their own destiny, as they sit in 2nd place on 9 points in Group 1, 1 point behind Libertad of Paraguay and tied on points with Banfield of Argentina. A win tonight will guarantee their spot into the next round, something that is expected of the powerhouse from Mexico City.

A draw or a loss tonight will leave América scoreboard watching, as Banfield hosts Libertad at the same time as the duel in the Azteca.

Tonight’s prediction: América 4, El Nacional 0

The Águilas know how important this game is, but the early start time (5:30 p.m. Mexico City time) may keep some fans away. However, with the number of South American players (including Paraguay’s Nelson Cuevas and Salvador Cabañas and Argentina’s Daniel Bilos), advancement into the next round and a long run through the knockout stages is expected from players who know the rigors of playing in South America’s largest club competition.