Tigres Face-Off Against Olimpia for Spot in CONCACAF Champions League Final
The semi-finals of the CONCACAF Champions League are underway, with the first of them being the matchup between Tigres and Honduran side, C.D. Olimpia. While on paper the matchup would seem to be favorable to the Mexican team, the road to the semi-final for Olimpia is a commendable one and perhaps should be of note for the Felinos.
To get to this stage, the Honduran side had to go through two MLS teams, no small feat for the Central Americans in itself. Most important however is perhaps taking a look at who the teams were that Olimpia sent home along the way. Those two unlucky MLS teams would be the Seattle Sounders, followed by Montreal Impact. Of course, most notable among these perhaps would be the Sounders, at that time the defending MLS Champs and currently the runner up to the 2020 MLS Cup. This is to say that Olimpia will not be so easy to dispose of as many would think. It would be wise to remember that Seattle, the first of their victims, is regarded as one of the best current MLS sides and Montreal to their credit were a team that fared well this season, making the 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs. And still, Olimpia were the underdogs in those matchups as well and yet they were able to pull through to the semi-finals.
Tigres no doubt is the heavy favorite here, having walloped another worthy MLS side in New York City FC. Not only was their final score convincing, having won 5-0 on aggregate, but their style of play demonstrated how they meant business. However, this by no means is an indicator that Tigres will have it “easy”. A good reference would be their previous matchup before NYCFC when they faced off against another Central American team in Salvadorean Alianza F.C. This matchup which ultimately led them to New York, was one that Tigres barely escaped out of. In fact, they ended up losing their first match 2-1, only to bounce back 4-2 at home for a final aggregate score of 5-4 in favor of the Mexicans. It can be argued that those were different circumstances and a different team but it would nonetheless be wise to not underestimate Olimpia. After all, there is nothing more dangerous in sports than an underdog with momentum. They’ve got nothing to lose.
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