Puro Football

MLS squads were keen on making a good impression after faltering earlier in the year in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Once the group stage was finished two teams from each league advanced to the semifinals.

Group A:
Houston Dynamo (6 pts.)
Atlante (6 pts.)
Guadalajara (6 pts.)
DC United (0 pts.)

The Houston Dynamo and Atlante were the winners of this group. Guadalajara looked like a sure thing after winning their first two games, but failed to secure their passage when they lost their final game to Atlante. DC United struggled throughout the entire group stage because they were missing their midfield catalyst, Marcelo Gallardo. Houston played solidly throughout, while Atlante got off to a shaky start but finished strong. Houston definitely looked like the best team in the group.

Group B:
New England Revolution (7 pts.)
Pachuca (4 pts.)
Chivas USA (4 pts.)
Santos Laguna (1pt.)

Pachuca and the New England Revolution came out on top of group B. The New England Revolution really dominated this group with their speed and skill. Pachuca on the other hand relied on their vast experience in international tournaments to help them get through. Chivas USA played well, but their downfall came from losing their first game against Pachuca. Santos Laguna played exactly as they should have, nothing more than a team still in their pre-season, of course their coaching staff and fans expect much better than that.

The New England Revolution will now take on Atlante, while the Houston Dynamo will take on Pachuca in the semifinals.

Tags: 2008 superliga, group stage, Major League Soccer, MLS, Primera División de México, recap, review

This entry was posted on Monday, July 21st, 2008 at 2:51 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.