With Sporting KC in Mexico City to face Cruz Azul in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals, we caught up with FoxSports.com MLS editorKyle McCarthy to preview the match. The match will kick off at 9 p.m. CT with live coverage available on Fox Sports 2 and Galavision.
JF: What's makes it so tough for MLS teams to play in Mexico against Liga MX sides?
KM: MLS teams have struggled in Mexico for a variety of factors but the most important one is that Mexican sides are able to summon their overall advantages at home. They have larger budgets. They have good, quality players and they're able to use those sorts of edges on their home soil. I think that's shown in the results over the years.
JF: Looking at Cruz Azul, they stumbled a little bit in the last week but overall they've been very good in Liga MX. What are your thoughts on their recent form and what youv'e seen from them over the last few months?
KM: Cruz Azul is the best team in Mexico right now. They are top of the table in the Clausura and they've played very well for most of this campaign. I think you can see that in looking at some of the performances They have a good squad. They know how to play under Luis Fernando Tena. They've shown an ability to tear teams apart, particular at home. Sporting Kansas City will have to travel to Estadio Azul on Wednesday with the knowledge that it's going to take a complete 90 minute performance to get something off of Cruz Azul.
JF: What were your takeaways from the first leg at Sporting Park?
KM: For me, I think it went about according to plan. Sporting KC is a good side at home and it was clear that they were able to disrupt Cruz Azul for periods of that game. Getting the 1-0 result on home soil provides Sporting KC with a chance to go to Estadio Azul and perhaps get a result. When you look back at the first leg, it was a job done for Sporting KC and if you go to Estadio Azul knowing that an away goal could be precious, after keeping the clean sheet at home, it does provide incentive for Sporting KC to look for those opportunities to counter as they inevitably soak up pressure during this match.
JF: Do you expect to Cruz Azul to be aggressive early in this match?
KM: Yes, Cruz Azul's going to push numbers forward. They're going to present a host of concerns for Sporting KC inside its own defensive half. Sporting KC will have to withstand the onslaught. The good news for this team (Sporting KC) is that there have been previous successes away from home in the CONCACAF Champions League. They understand what it takes to win and what it takes to get results on the road in CONCACAF. That's important knowledge heading into this match. That being said, this is going to be a very, very difficult task for Sporting KC but it is one within their capability.
JF: What will be the key factors for Sporting KC if they are to advance to the semifinals
KM: The first thing Sporting KC must do is keep its concentration for 90 minutes. Matt Besler noted earlier this year that it was particularly important to make sure that there was a consistency throughout the 90 minutes because if Sporting KC drops off for any length of time, that's the point in the game where Cruz Azul can lift itself and find a way through. The second thing is Sporting KC really needs to keep its shape. This is the sort of scenario where Cruz Azul's going to move the ball around quickly. They're going to try and probe and find those spaces between the lines and through the lines. Sporting KC is going to have to make sure that it finds a way to stay cohesive in its defensive efforts. And third, Sporting KC has to look for moments to break the pressure. That means countering at the right times and then finding ways to win free kicks in the middle third and attacking third to just relieve the pressure and push out a bit. Defending for 90 minutes is an arduous death and that could pose some problems for Sporting KC but if the visitors are able to find ways to break that pressure and release the tension a little bit, it will help them as they try to achieve their overall goals.
JF: What are your expections for tonight's match?
KM: I expect Sporting KC to come out and do whatever it takes to try and grind out a result. If that means pressing really high for 90 minutes, they'll do it. If it means dropping off at points to keep their shape, they'll do it. I expect Cruz Azul to press forward earnestly from the outset in a bid to get back the goal they lost at Sporting Park last week. I think it's going to be a tight game. I think it's the sort of match where either side could find a way to go through to the semifinals.
