CONCACAF Champions League Preview: D.C. United Back in Action

Cruz Azul (MEX) v D.C. United (USA) (Group A)
When: 10 pm ET, Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Where: Estadio Azul, Mexico City, Mexico
TV: Fox Soccer Channel

The long stretch of bad play seems to be coming to an end for D.C. United who were overmatched for much of the last month before coming on the last two weeks with two draws and a win in three games.          

Starting with a 2-2 draw at the famed Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in their last CCL game, D.C. has found a way to get a few results against some very good teams. Three days after the Saprissa game United scored another draw against the Houston Dynamo and followed that by getting their first win in twelve games Thursday night against the New England Revolution. Tuesday night D.C. will travel to Mexico City to take on Cruz Azul with a chance to continue their best run of form since the all-star break.          

The well-documented injury problems have certainly played a part in United’s New York Met-like second half of the season but results against three of the best teams in the region show that even without a full complement of players D.C. can still put up a good fight. The Saprissa game saw a youth movement overtake a normally very veteran D.C. squad with only two players over the age of 25 starting the game. United will probably take a similar tactic with a big MLS match coming up next Sunday against the Columbus Crew and the team having no real hope of advancing in the CCL. The youngsters will have their hands full with a Cruz Azul team that has yet to lose a CCL game at the Estadio Azul

Cruz Azul will be hoping they can avoid the same fate against D.C. as Saprissa found. With the top three teams in Group A all tied at seven points a win for the Mexicans would leave them in one of the top two spots with one game left. A loss or a draw would leave Cruz in a tough spot with their final game coming on the road at Saprissa.

Home wins are crucial for teams in tight battles and Cruz will certainly be viewing the D.C. game as a golden opportunity to take control of Group A.            

Players to Watch:

D.C. United: Francis Doe. The 22-year-old Liberian forward has scored three goals in the last three matches including both goals in the 2-1 win over New England.

Cruz Azul: Pablo Zeballos. The 22-year-old Paraguayan has two goals in CCL group play including the game winner against D.C. in the team’s first meeting.

--Allen Ramsey, Goal.com