Major League Soccer saw two more teams advance to the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League after Toronto FC and the Seattle Sounders both registered vital draws to win their respective play-in series.
Toronto FC posted a 2-2 draw against Honduran club CD Motagua. Former TFC midfielder Amado Guevara scored twice for Motagua, but Chad Barrett's equalizer gave Toronto the 3-2 series win on aggregate.
Seattle traveled to El Salvador and came away with its own 1-1 draw courtesy of a header from new Designated Player Alvaro Fernandez. The draw gave the Sounders a 2-1 series victory on aggregate.
The Los Angeles Galaxy will look to join Seattle and Toronto in the group stage by erasing a three-goal defict as it heads to Puerto Rico for the second leg of its series. Puerto Rico scored a shocking 4-1 victory at Home Depot Center last week.
Here are some other stories to get your Wednesday going:
KLJESTAN ASSISTS AGAIN
U.S. national team midfielder Sacha Kljestan has made a smooth transition to life with new club Anderlecht, with his latest impressive performance coming in the club's 3-0 Champions League playoff game against Welsh club All Saints. Anderlecht won the two-game series, 6-1, with Kljestan scoring in the first leg.
Anderlecht will now go into the UEFA Champions League playoff draw, which will be held on Friday.
Here is Kljestan's assist (first goal):
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CREW STILL WORKING ON MENDOZA DEAL
Peruvian striker Andres Mendoza was reportedly set to sign with the Columbus Crew, but the Columbus Dispatch is reporting that a deal has yet to be finalized.
CHIVAS GUADALAJARA REACHES LIBERTADORES FINAL
A year after Mexican teams withdrew from Copa Libertadores amid swine flu scares, a Mexican team will be playing in the Copa Libertadores final.
Chivas Guadalajara scored a 2-0 victory against Universidad de Chile on Tuesday night to win its semifinal series and book a place in the two-leg final, which begins next week. Chivas will face either Internacional or Sao Paulo in the final. Internacional leads that series 1-0, with the second leg to be played on Thursday.
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What do you think of last night's CONCACAF Champions League performances by Toronto and Seattle? Impressed with Kljestan's fast start with Anderlecht? Think Mendoza could be the piece to the puzzle that helps Columbus win another title?
Share your thoughts below.
17yrs old? Wow.
The cover him a lot on the “Yanks-Abroad” site.
FWIW, Anderlecht played The New Saints, formerly Total Network Solutions, not All Saints.
People make way too much of him everytime he does something. Goals against El Salvador in friendlies or decent performances against European clubs comparable to USL1 teams doesn’t mean the guy deserves repeated call ups to the NT at the expense of more deserving players.
+1..definitely probably could have put away the first 2 and that missed volley haha
I, too, am disgusted with Americans who perform well overseas.
I’m pretty sick of Dempsey and Bradley, now that you mention it.
ya great move for him.. looks like he is doing great there, although just from that highlight i bet i could have found net or at least an assist vs. New Saints.
ditto
Not surprised at all. Kljestan usually plays just well to get callups and then sucks. And come on, he’s playing a Welsh team. Would everyone get so excited if he got an assist against the Rochester Rhinos? As long as Bradley is the coach he’ll continue to get looks with the US. Hope he doesn’t play in the Brazil or Poland games. Torress, Holden, Feilhaber, etc. are much better players with more upside.