Sounders react to CCL exit
The Seattle Sounders were eliminated in the quarterfinal of CONCACAF Champions league tonight, with defending champion Club America winning 3-1 tonight and 5-3 on aggregate.
The Sounders needed a win tonight (or a draw of 3-3 or higher) and they jumped to a 1-0 lead in the 41st minute on an own goal. However, Club America equalized a minute later, took the lead before the half was out, and then played things out in the second half.
The Sounders will fly home tomorrow, practice Friday and Saturday, and then begin their eighth MLS season at 4 p.m. Sunday when Sporting Kansas City visits CenturyLink Field.
Here’s some of what the Sounders had to say after the match:
Coach SIGI SCHMID
I think we were good for the first 41 minutes. After that, goals change the games. We’ve had three leads, and our leads have lasted like three minutes. The two goals right before halftime changed the game. Another goal comes right after halftime, and then the game’s over. But through 41 minutes we did what we wanted to do. We looked for situations to counter. We knew we’d have to dodge a few bullets, and we’d have to defend well, and I thought we did that. But we had to give ourselves that opportunity by going in at halftime with the lead.
On Liga MX sweeping the four series against MLS teams: Obvously Club America is fitter than we are, and they have better understanding and cohesion because they have played many more games together than we have. We have new players on our team, new formation, guys aretrying to get used to each other, so that hurt us a ltitle bit. For sure (Rubens Sambueza) got open all the time. We gave him way too much space. So he was able to really run the game and make the game for Club America, and he was the player that probably hurt us the most.
On the competition between MLS and Liga MX: I think the difference is much smaller than it used to be. I think if you go back two-three years, Liga MX teams would play half reserve teams against us. They don’t play reserve teams against us anymore. They know that if they play reserve teams against us they’re probably not going to win. And if we could play on a more equal footing – if we were eight games into our season – then the games may be a little more different as well. They have an advantage in this round for sure. Again, the budgets are bigger, the depth of the team is deeper because they’re able to pay more money at the end of the day. But the gap has definitely closed, and I think the teams here in Mexico give us respect now because they play with first teams against us.
Midfielder CRISTIAN ROLDAN
The first goal made things a little bit more complicated as they pushed everybody forward and tried to score. Letting in two goals before halftime wasn’t the best thing for us. … They kept the ball. I think they do a very good job of keeping the ball, and they’re patient. Their two forward work very hard, and they press. It’s hard to maintain possession when they keep the ball the whole time.
Calendar’s affect on the results: It’s a difficult tournament for us. Obviously this is only our second game, and I think America I think this might be they’re 10th. I think it’s a little more difficult for us. … We don’t have game fitness like they do, and coming into Estadio Azteca where they have altitude as well, that doesn’t help us. … I think with a bunch of games under our belt it would obviously help us a bunch.
Preparing for MLS this weekend: We have to save our bodies. We have to prepare. We have to travel and take care of our bodies. I think that’s the most important thing, and we’ll be ready by Sunday.
Goalkeeper STEFAN FREI
I thought we came out with a good game plan. … I thought we played well. Get that goal, which was great. It’s a difficult place to play, and a good team. Obviously it’s still fresh in our head from last game that we don’t want to concede, but yet we concede again right away: two goals in a matter of a few minutes and that obviously completely changes the game. Instead of going to halftime up 1-0, we’re down 2-1, and it’s demoralizing, so that’s something we have to look at. But great heart and great fight by the guys.
Meanwhile, the CCL will move forward as an all-Mexico competition. Here’s the preview from CONCACAF:
The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) confirmed this morning the schedule and matchups for the 2015-16 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League semifinals.
The two compelling home-and-away semifinal series feature showdowns between leading Liga MX sides, with knockout round top-seed Club America battling Santos Laguna, while Tigres UANL and Gallos Blancos de Queretaro will face off on the other side of the draw.
The action will kick off on Tuesday, March 15, when Gallos Blancos host Tigres in the Estadio Corregidora in Queretaro. The next day Club Santos Laguna hosts Club America at the Estadio Corona in Torreon in the opener of that series.
Return-leg action finishes with a double header on Tuesday, April 5. Tigres face Gallos Blancos in Monterrey for one ticket to the final of the 2015/16 CONCACAF Champions League. The other finalist will be decided at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City where Club America and Santos Laguna conclude their series.
The two semifinal winners will meet in the two-leg CONCACAF Champions League Final, with the two games to be played on April 20 and April 27, 2016. Start times for all semifinal matches will be announced in coming days.
The winner of the 2015-16 CONCACAF Champions earns a prized ticket to the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2016.
2015-16 SCOTIABANK CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – CHAMPIONSHIP STAGE
*start times for all semifinal matches to be announced in coming days
SEMIFINALS
1st Leg
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Gallos Blancos de Queretaro vs. Club Tigres de la Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon -- Estadio Corregidora, Queretaro, Mexico
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Club Santos Laguna vs. Club de Futbol America S.A. de C.V. – Estadio Corona, Torreon, Mexico
2nd Leg
Tuesday April 5, 2016
Club Tigres de la Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon vs. Gallos Blancos de Queretaro – Estadio Universitario, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
Club de Futbol America S.A. de C.V. vs. Club Santos Laguna – Estadio Azteca, Ciudad de Mexico, D.F., Mexico
FINALS
1nd Leg – April 20 – Winner Gallos Blancos de Queretaro/Club Tigres de la Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon vs. Winner Club Santos Laguna/Club de Futbol America S.A. de C.V.
2nd Leg – April 27 – Winner Club Santos Laguna/ Club de Futbol America S.A. de C.V. vs. Winner Gallos Blancos de Queretaro/Club Tigres de la Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon
Don Ruiz: 253-597-8808, @donruiztnt
This story was originally published March 2, 2016 at 7:13 PM with the headline "Sounders react to CCL exit."