Heading into the fourth round of CONCACAF Champions League and the leaders are separating themselves from the pack. Nowhere is this more evident than Group C, where Columbus and Cruz Azul have a small lead ahead of the bottom two teams in the group, Saprissa and Puerto Rico.
With the way the standings are set, the winner of tonight's match is in the driver's seat to at least snag one of the top two spots in the group and advance to the quarterfinals. There will be an obvious motive of revenge for the Crew, who were pummeled 5-0 when the two met in Mexico.
The Crew are right in the thick of a tight stretch of the schedule, and tonight's match will be the first of three in just seven days. Robert Warzycha has seen his lead in the East shrink a bit, but Columbus remains in control with a a three-point lead and a game in hand on Chicago, and tied with Houston in a bid for back-to-back Supporters' Shields.
Rounding out tonight's CCL action is Toluca taking on San Juan Jabloten, as the Mexicans look to grab a stranglehold on Group B, and Comunicaciones hosting W Connection. A win for the El Salvadoran club would have them poised for a quarterfinal berth.
What do you think of Columbus' chances tonight? Can they knock off Cruz Azul? How will they handle this busy stretch of the schedule? Share your thoughts below.