Major kudos to Arabe Unido. It's the third time a Panamanian team has made the quarters, and it has been them all three times. This is the first time they've beaten out a Mexican team to get there though. In 2009-10, they advanced with Pachuca and ahead of Houston and Isidro Metapan, and in 2013-14 they beat out Houston (again) and W Connection.
In addition, they beat a Mexican opponent home and away - something that MLS teams have never accomplished. In 2011, both Dallas and Seattle won in Mexico, only to drop their respective return matches (in the group stage) at home.
In the first six CCLs, a Mexican club was never eliminated before playing their last Group Stage game. In the last three CCLs, that has happened twice with Monterrey this time and Leon in 2014-2015.
This has more to do with the format change. The first 4 CCLs (2008 - 2011) had groups of 4 with the top 2 teams advancing in each group. The last 4 CCLs (2012 - 2016) has groups of 3 with only the winner of each group moving on. It was easier with groups of 4 because a team could still come in second and advance. Mexican teams started to get eliminated after this change.
Mind you, Cruz Azul came desperately close to crashing out in the group stage in 2008, only to be saved by Marathón's win over Saprissa on the last matchday.
Who do you think will get the 1 seed? Pumas UNAM, Vancouver, Arabe Unido, Pachuca, and Tigres UANL are perfect so far. Pachuca leads in goal differential at +15. The next best goal differential is +8 for Saprissa, and the next best goal differential for a perfect team is a tie at +5 between Vancouver and Arabe Unido. Pachuca will probably get the 1 seed on goal differential if they win their last game, but it's at Olimpia. Vancouver and Arabe Unido are the two perfect clubs who have played both of their away games. Pumas UNAM and Tigres UANL are each at +4. If Vancouver, Arabe Unido, Pumas UNAM, and Tigres tie with 12 points and Pachuca doesn't beat Olimpia, it could take multiple tiebreakers to decide the Top 4 seeds.
I wouldn't put it past Árabe Unido to claim the #1 seed...Honduras is a hard outing (to even get the W, saying nothing about padding your GD), and Árabe Unido are more likely to go all guns blazing on Don Bosco than Vancouver are against Central FC, what with the MLS playoffs around the corner.
If the group stage ended today... CF Pachuca (MEX) vs. FC Dallas (USA) Deportivo Saprissa (CRC) vs. New York Red Bulls (USA) --- Árabe Unido (PAN) vs. Pumas UNAM (MEX) Vancouver Whitecaps (CAN) vs. Tigres UANL (MEX) I imagine Houston fans would be conflicted with the first matchup...or cheer for the meteor.
Lol nope us Houston fans would never cheer for Scum FC aka Dallas. if it does end like that Pachuca better crush them with no mercy. That would be like America fans cheering on Pumas or Cruz Azul in the Libertadores, makes no sense.
I'd really like to avoid Tigres. I think they are the best in the tournament. I'd also like to avoid Whitecaps but not because I think we wouldn't beat them. It's because of the emotional conflict of playing against Bolaños and Waston. We love those guys over here. They are Saprissa born and raised, and they've given us trophies and great memories. Pachuca and Pumas would be really difficult as well, but we can give a good match to them or anyone else. First we gotta take care of Timbers, though (unless they really screw up in El Salvador). It's going to be tough in Portland.
I'm sure they feel the same way - see how Sabo went into a funk after that Saprissa-Real Salt Lake series in 2011.
I always read you guys say your rivalry with mexico trumps mls rivalries. I don´t mind Cruz Azul. I feel they get more hate than they deserve. At least they won a SCCL and played the biggest tourney of them all....unlike the other 2 "grandes" the gatitos and the chicas. Now those are the 2 teams I despise.
It depends on what side of the forum you read over in the Houston board if we aren't in it f every other MLS team pretty much (especially if LA or Dallas is involved). The MLS board leans more towards the league succeeding so they would put rivalries aside.
The US MLS teams do not play against Liga MX in the group stage anymore. The only time the US MLS teams face Liga MX is in the knockout rounds. Knockout rounds and groups stage rounds are not an apples to apples comparison. Canadian MLS teams have faced a Liga MX team 1 time in the group stage since the format change in 2012. So your snarky comment doesn't mean anything, because MLS teams rarely face Liga MX in the 3 teams group stage. In the past 4 CCLs 1 MLS team (Toronto) has faced a Liga MX team in the group stage. It's kind of hard to knockout a Liga MX team in the group stage if a MLS team is rarely in a Liga MX group. And pre 2012 it didn't matter if a MLS team couldn't knock out a Liga MX team in the group stage. 2 teams advanced out of each group. The goal in the 4 team group (2008 to 2011 CCLs) was to advance not to knockout Mexico.
His point is that Árabe Unido just dropped a Mexican team (w/back-to-back wins, no less) without anywhere near the roster or resources of an MLS side - and at the beginning of their leage season, no less.