CCL Final, Leg Two: RSL vs. Monterrey [R]; Pre-, PBP, Post-

Just to get the thread started for The Biggest Match in MLS History (to date):




Real Salt Lake vs. Monterrey

Wednesday, April 27, 2011, 10 p.m. EST (8 p.m. local)
Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy Utah
TV: Fox Soccer Channel, Telefutura
Online: CONCACAF Champions League TV (free registration)




The basics: RSL has the upper hand going into the game (as if their home unbeaten streak wasn't enough), with a 2-2 draw last week in Monterrey giving them the series in case of a low-scoring draw this Wednesday. They'll have to do so without Kyle Beckerman, however, as he is out on yellow card accumulation, as are Aldo de Nigris and "Chokehold" Zavala for Monterrey (the captain of los rayados, Luis Perez, is also out injured).

RSL's also coming into the game fresher, off of a bye week with its MLS match against Philly postponed until September, while Monterrey had to play a number of first-teamers (including "Chupete" Suazo") the entire game at home against Puebla in the Mexican League over the weekend, and only getting a draw at that.

Finally, a quick overview of what happens if...

RSL wins --> RSL wins the CCL

Monterrey wins --> Monterrey wins the CCL

RSL and Monterrey tie 0-0 or 1-1 --> RSL wins the CCL on away goals

RSL and Monterrey tie 3-3 or more --> Monterrey wins the CCL on away goals

RSL and Monterrey tie 2-2 --> 30 minutes of extra time (with away goals no longer counting), then penalties if necessary

So on Wednesday, the CONCACAF Champions League trophy (plus the ticket to the Club World Cup) finds a new home...



* And to repeat what Ismitje said in the first leg's thread: "Keep it friendly here in the neutral (but leaning MLS!) PBP thread."

Biggest match in MLS History to date because after Wednesday night... MLS will shed its childhood and hit puberty... enter the league adolescence.

#MLS4RSL

It is too bad this game is not going to get the quality television treatment that it deserves. Salt Lake City is stoked and there is no doubt the Royal Army is going to shine...it just won't be easy to appreciate while watching on fuzzy SD with a whopping 3 camera views and an announcer who still doesn't know that RSL's goalkeeper isn't 'Tony' Rimando.

This has been my biggest complaint about CONCACAF making this a 'bigtime' tourney...if you want people to believe something is bigtime then you must treat it as such.

Anyway, I'm already giddy for the final. And once it is done we can stop all this warm/fuzzy MLS4RSL stuff and get back to RSLstompingMLS.

It says in that graphic that they have the longest active home win streak. There's a difference between a win streak and an unbeaten streak. Or do they also have the longest active home win streak in addition to their home unbeaten streak?

The graphic also showed that Greenland and Iceland are in CONCACAF. I stopped reading after that.

It also showed that Greenland was 4 times the size of Alaska...

Yeah it should say home undefeated streak, but I've heard commentators say league home win streak, but no idea what is true.

While it is a shame that this isn't getting greater press coverage, what normally happens (in my opinion) is that the second soccer gains even a small amount of traction with the majority of the public for whatever reason, the team I am pulling for lays an egg.

This probably has nothing to do with public awareness. I think it just relates to me and the Universe trying to hash things out. I think in another life I must have been a chronic puppy kicker.

VERY pumped about this!!

Win.

That is all.

Well, actually, last match was in HD. The home leg for RSL will be in HD as well. It still may not be the best production, but its not the same SD telecasts we saw for other stages of the tournament.

The domestic commentators were pretty good last game, but I heard a lot of complaints about foreign commentators.

CONCACAF can't control how a station treats a tournament and its games after already selling them the rights. FSC can do with it whatever they want.

TBF, this year more than ever, teams in Mexico and MLS have embraced the CCL. I think the atmosphere at the Monterrey match is a big indication of that.

The success on the CCL hinges on MLS teams' ability to challenge Mexican clubs and build a similar rivalry to the one we saw on the international stage.

The "how one MLS team is changing the world's view on American soccer" title is way too exaggerated, even for BigSoccer standards. If RSL wins here, then got knocked out of the first round in the Club World Cup, I think it would actually have a very negative reaction.

That line would be more appropriate if RSL were to actually win the Club World Cup, or at least have an incredibly good showing there, but that is still a long while away. Though I think merely seeing RSL vs. Barcelona in a competitive match would probably help the league's image. Also, that last line probably shows you who I would root for in the UEFA CL if RSL makes it through.

As a side note, Saborio has been in the Club World Cup before, with Saprissa in 2005. They lost 3-0 to Liverpool in the semifinals, but won the third place match (this is still the best ever showing for CONCACAF in the tournament). In that Liverpool match, Sabo had an amazing one on one with the Liverpool keeper, while the match was still only 1-0, but missed. I recall seeing an article a year or two ago where he stated that this was his personal most regretful moment of his career. His motivation in all this should not be underestimated.

I believe he was talking about the announcer on the official CONCACAF feed. He was horrible and mispronounced every single name possible. I'm still wondering who Jay ma sun Olive is. Absolutely horrible.

First off, I don't believe this in the slightest. It is probably dictated in the contracts that all visual production is coming from CONCACAF itself, as has been the case. Whether you watch FSC, Telefuture, or the online stream, the video is identical.

Same with the UEFA Champions Leagues. Those are produced feeds sent compete with graphics and all to the broadcaster. They provide their own commentary, and that's it (aside from halftime programming, etc).

CONCACAF is generally the one falling down with their awful production. The endless use of replays for bullshit right during the middle of play is infuriating. Count how many times during a game you hear the roar of a crowd in the background while you're stuck watching a replay about whether something should have been a goal kick or a corner kick.

I'm pumped for this.. RSL vs. Man U/Barcelona/RM in a competitive match would be fantastic.

I haven't seen confirmation if Sergio Santana is playing for Monterrey or not. I know he was injured last week and taken out. That would be a huge loss, added to Perez, De Nigris and Zavala.

Then again, Chupete Suazo could decide the game all by himself, regardless of how Monterrey is playing--he's that good.

That 2000 tournament felt so much like a one off, I never count it. I didn't like it, either, since it felt like the European teams really didn't want to be there, and their play showed. I didn't see that in the later tournaments.

Though FIFA does include it as official, so you're right. I just have to change what I wrote to "tied for best ever finish".

Chupete isn't 100% himself allegedly

that said, Arriba El Monterrey

I think saying that Suazo is that important is a bit of an overstatement...

This is a team game... Suazo must be dying of coldness today with the snow.

Don't forget Schalke 04, but for league exposure having RSL v RM would probably be best.

You guys still watch MLS teams?

Seriously, everyone I know only watches the Congolese Linafoot. That's how powerful TP Mazembe getting to the final was last year. I walk down the streets here in Columbus and I see Vita Club tshirts, Motema Pembe flags and I even saw a baby with a Bilima tattoo on it's exposed belly.

Maybe the same can happen to MLS if they do well.

Mazembe pride much?

The difference between the Congolese Linafoot and MLS? Money, much larger market, media exposure across seas, growth of the sport.

MLS showing well in an international tournament is completely different than a team from an economically stagnant and still developing nation.

32 degrees and snowing today in Salt Lake, according to 'The Daily' crew from mlssoccer.com

Gotta be a "wtf" moment for the Monterrey players.