CONCACAF has released the schedule for April's Champions League semifinals, and both MLS representatives will host their Mexican rivals in the first legs of the series before heading to Mexico for the second.
The Seattle Sounders will open the semifinals by hosting Herculez Gomez and Santos Laguna at CenturyLink field on Tues., April 2, with kickoff set for 10 pm ET. Santos will host the return leg in Torreón, Mexico, one week later on April 9, with the two teams set for an 8 pm ET kickoff.
In the other semifinal, the LA Galaxy will host two-time defending champions Monterrey at the Home Depot Center on Weds., April 3, with kickoff again set for 10 pm ET. Monterrey will host the return leg on Weds., April 10, in a 10 pm ET kickoff.
All four matches in the semifinals series will be televised on Fox Soccer. Whichever team scores the most total goals over the course of the series will advance to the final. Should the two teams be even on total goals scored, whichever team scored more goals away from home will advance. The next tiebreaker would be a 30-minute period of extra time in the second leg, followed by a penalty shootout if the two sides cannot be separated.
The Sounders made the semifinals by completing a remarkable second half comeback against Mexican giants Tigres UANL in their second leg showdown at CenturyLink field, while LA cruised in their quarterfinal series, topping Costa Rican outfit Herediano 4-1 in the second leg, which was also the final aggregate scoreline.
No MLS team has won the CONCACAF Champions League since it took its current format in 2008, replacing the old CONCACAF Champions' Cup, though Real Salt Lake came close, losing 3-2 on aggregate to Monterrey in the 2010-11 final. Both D.C. United and LA triumphed in the Champions' Cup, in 1998 and 200, respectively, though it was a shorter, more localized version of the tournament in both cases.
For complete CCL coverage, be sure to check out MLSsoccer.com's CCL home page.
