Seattle Sounders FC will again face a Liga MX side in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League. UANL Tigres will be three months into the second half of their 2012-13 season when they host Seattle on March 6th.
After an Apertura that was a disappointing 5-6-6 despite a +5 goal differential and a decent 2-0-2 +9 in the 2012/13 CONCACAF Champions League UANL Tigres opened their Clausura (Spring) season with a three-nil win over Jaguares de Chiapas. That contest between two mid-table sides from the 2012 Apertura featured new addition Emanuel Villa netting a hat trick.
Villa joins Tigres from Pumas and is a former Derby County player, but spent time on either side of his 18 months in Derby in Mexico also playing with Atlas, Tecos and Cruz Azul. He has 11 goals in 18 CONCACAF Champions League appearances. Tigres’ top scorers from the fall (Forward Alan Pulido and Midfielder Lucas Lobos) remain with the team.
Another new addition to the “other” Monterrey side is American Jose Francisco Torres. Torres makes his first move from Pachuca looking for greener pastures and to improve on a career that already saw him earn several call-ups to the United States National Team.
“Moving to a new team for the first time will undoubtedly be a challenge,” said SB Nation’s Jason Marquitz of the Torres move. “Yet, if Torres is able to step up to the task, he will be much better for it. Ferretti has a talented and disciplined squad. Playing in Ferretti's Tigres could be a great step in the career of Torres.”
Torres, and his 12 CCL appearances, is not the only American in Ferretti’s side. Jonathon Bornstein (one time Chivas USA player in MLS) is still on the club, though he has not played often with Tigres he does have appearances in the CCL and the Copa Libertadores. Tigres also have American midfilder/forward Victor Garza.
Based on how Tigres played against Jaguares and their standard formation in the last season they will lineup in a 4-2-3-1 and have the bodies to maintain their generally strong attack after subbing. The two matches against Seattle will be framed by Morelia and Chivas de Guadalajra with a match against San Luis nestled in the middle. The quality of lineup put forward will always be a question, but the team that struggled in the Fall is stronger now and will be in form when Seattle faces them.
Tickets to the March 12th home leg go on sale to the general public on Monday January 14th at 10 a.m. PT.
