CCL Crash Course: Real Esteli off to strong start to Apertura

Sporting Kansas City will kick off its 2014-15 CONCACAF Champions League campaign a week from today. And while the midweek games add another wrinkle to an already challenging Sporting KC season that has seen its share of injuries and international absences, Peter Vermes' side will have one notable advantage over the other two teams in their group: match fitness.

All three teams in CONCACAF Champions League Group 2 are at different points in their respective seasons. Sporting KC is entering the home stretch of the MLS season, having played 23 of 34 regular season games. Peter Vermes' squad is in first place is in the Eastern Conference with an 11-6-6 record (39 points) and hosts Toronto FC Saturday night at Sporting Park.

Real Esteli are unbeaten through three games in the 2014 Apertura. The 13-time Nicaraguan first division champions are 3-0-0 with a +7 goal differential and are tied atop the standings with Walter Ferreti. Esteli defeated Real Adriz 2-0 on Sunday, with Rodel Calero and Carlos Chavarria tallying the goals at Estadio Solidaridad. Calero is now tied with teammate Samuel Wilson atop the league's scoring charts with three goals apiece.

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Four players who started for Esteli on Sunday, also started their 1-1 draw against Sporting KC in the 2013-14 CCL Group Stage last September at Sporting Park. Wilson found Calero on a corner kick for the team's lone goal in the match. Esteli will travel to Managua this weekend for a first-place showdown with Walter Ferreti before hosting Sporting KC on Tuesday.

Costa Rican side Deportivo Saprissa are the only team in the group to have not yet played a league match despite playing their first CCL match last week against Esteli. Saprissa will begin their season on August 17 against newly promoted AS Puma Generalena.

Although the 30-time champions of the Costa Rican first division have not kicked off the 2014/15 Torneo de Invierno, the team has been busy with their participation in El Torneo de Copa Popular 2014, an annual tournament that features the top teams from Costa Rica's first and second divisions. Saprissa advanced through the group stage in convincing fashion, with a 3-0-0 record and a +11 goal differential. The three-time CONCACAF Champions' Cup winners beat Herediano 6-5 on penalty kicks in the semifinals before falling to Cartagines 3-2 in the championship match last Sunday. Ariel Rodriguez and David Ramirez gave Saprissa an early lead, but Cartagines stormed back with three unanswered goals to win the Cup.

Sunday's match was the first for Saprissa since they transferred starting center back Kendall Waston to MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps FC.