CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals: RSL, Crew Tied; Cruz Azul Leads 2-0

Coming off a year in which they were won of the best teams in MLS, an off-season that saw them bring back almost all of their key contributors and having no shortage of motivation, it's understandable that Real Salt Lake was expecting better than a 0-0 tie in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal on Tuesday. Sure, the weather and a pair of ejections certainly played into that result with the Columbus Crew, but don't expect fans to be particularly understanding. Consider RSL Soapbox, SB Nation's Real Salt Lake blog, among the disappointed.

However, none of that explains the lack luster performance of RSL in the first half. I questioned the start of (Fabian) Espindola, who while always explosive and dangerous hadn't played much in the preseason, and that showed as he seemed to be playing by himself much more than being part of the offensive plan. In turn that meant that (Alvaro) Saborio had to often get out of position to even get a touch on the ball, and to be honest he looked slow on and off the ball and I wonder if the combination of conditions and his injury kept him from being at top form.

It's not a stretch to say that the Crew performed much better than many expected, and not just because they were a man up for more than 30 minutes. The Crew generated the better scoring chances and, if not for some regrettable misses, could have easily been heading to Rio Tinto Stadium with a lead. There's no question RSL will need better if they are going to advance.

Cruz Azul were the superior side for the vast majority of this match and their 2-0 first leg victory was well deserved; if anything, Santos Laguna were lucky to not have surrendered a third.

After a first half which saw both side defend sloppily but fail to capitalize on the miscues of their opponents, Cruz Azul came out firing in the second half. Javier Orozco put Azul ahead 58 minutes in and Christian Giménez doubled the lead just ten minutes later. Both goals were assisted in large part by some very poor effort at the back by Santos Laguna but their was some excellent play from Cruz Azul in the buildup as well; Orozco’s goal came after a stunning, weaving run from the edge of the box to the end line by Javier Aquino while Giménez was the recipient of a slick through ball from Emmanuel Villa that found him alone in acres of space.

Cruz Azul had several other chances to go ahead, most notably a half-volleyed one time rocket from Marcelo Palau that keeper Oswaldo Sánchez was only just able to turn away. The 2-0 lead certainly isn’t insurmountable for Santos Laguna, but they’ll need to put together a far more competent display when they host the return fixture on March 1st if they have any hope of advancing to the semi-finals.

Just ten minutes after Javier Orozco put Cruz Azul ahead, Christian Giménez added a second to give his side a solid cushion ahead of the second leg at Estadio Corona.

It was yet another moment of sloppy defending that led to the goal from Giménez, with Santos Laguna’s offside trap picked apart expertly by Emmanuel Villa, pouncing on a loose ball in midfield and sending a lovely ball through to Giménez. With only the keeper to beat, Giménez chipped towards the top right corner and though Sánchez was able to divert the ball’s flight, it wasn’t enough to keep the ball out.

Cruz Azul don’t look to be content to sit on their two goal lead and Santos Laguna don’t look much of a threat to cut into it. Without some major tactical changes from Santos, there could be more scoring yet to come for Azul.

After a tentative start to the second half by both sides, Javier Aquino’s brilliant run from the edge of the box through what seemed to be the entirety of the Santos defense gave him the space needed to pick out Javier Orozco in the center of the box. The striker finished easily and Cruz Azul have finally taken advantage of the shoddy defending that has plagued Santos all evening.

It was the culmination of a period of dominance from Cruz Azul, who traded blows with Santos in the first half but now find themselves well and truly in the driver’s seat in this contest. A 1-0 loss in this leg would be far from disastrous for Santos, but if they hope to keep things that close they’ll need to find a way to keep a lot more possession and tighten things up quite a bit at the back.

Cruz Azul and Santos Laguna end the first half even at 0-0, and though some shoddy work at the back from both teams has opened the door, neither side has been able to capitalize. Cruz Azul has enjoyed the better of the play and came very close to scoring with a free-kick from Christian Giménez going just wide of the post. The free kick came after a very soft yellow was given to Santos defender Felipe Baloy.

Moments later, Cruz Azul captain Gerardo Torrado was booked for simulation when he went down with very minimal contact in the box after a challenge from Santos keeper Oswaldo Sánchez. While the reaction at Estadio Azul was the less than favorable, replays clearly showed that any contact was minor and likely induced by Torrado.

The majority of the half really was a display of quality midfield play from both teams marred by wasteful play in the final third. There appear to be goals in this game, but to this point it’s been a story of equal parts sloppiness and overly conservative play from the both sides in the attack.

Despite playing about 20 minutes 10 v. 9, the first leg of the Columbus Crew-Real Salt Lake CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal ended in a scoreless tie. The match now heads back to Rio Tinto Stadium on March 1.

The first half of the match was actually more well played than many had expected to see with both sides displaying decent passing through the midfield. But neither side was able to finish any of their chances.

The second half was much more sloppy and was marred by three ejections. Tony Beltran was the first player to be sent off when he picked up his second yellow card in the 53rd minute. The Crew spent the next 20 or so minutes unable to mount much of a challenge, despite their advantage. In the 73rd minute, Emilio Renteria and Nat Borchers both received red cards. It was not clear what prompted Jair Marrufo to eject the two players.

The Crew's best chance to score came in the 85th minute when substitute Jeff Cunningham found himself behind the RSL defense on a set piece. But he was unable to get a touch on a loose ball.

The current forecast for March 1's second leg indicates that the weather should be much more agreeable for soccer. There's no snow in the forecast for the day of the game or the day before and temperatures are expected to be in the 40s.

A pair of red cards have added an interesting twist to the the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions league match between the Columbus Crew and Real Salt Lake. The referee issued a pair of red cards to RSL center back Nat Borchers and Crew forward Emilio Renteria in the 73rd minute.

For a moment, it looked as if RSL has back to even terms with the Crew when Renteria was issued the card. But referee Jair Marrufo opted to show red to Borchers as well. It wasn't immediately apparent what prompted the ejections, although Renteria had gone done in the box and was holding his head. Earlier in the second half, RSL lost Tony Beltran when he received his second yellow card of the match. All three players will have to sit out the second leg on March 2.

In about 15 minutes up a man, the Crew have only created a couple decent opportunities, but one of them really should have resulted in a goal. On a free kick, Jeff Cunningham had gotten behind the RSL defense and had a clean look at a header but was unable to make contact.

Tony Beltran picked up his second yellow card in the 53rd minute, meaning Real Salt Lake will have to play the final 37 minutes of the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal match against the Columbus Crew with only 10 men. Beltran picked up his second yellow on what was deemed a wreckless challenge. As a result, Robbie Russell was brought on for Fabian Espindola in the 58th minute.

RSL now finds itself in a potentially tricky position. RSL will likely be forced to play for a 0-0 tie, but with away goals being the first tiebreaker in CCL competition, that could leave them at a potential disadvantage heading back to Rio Tinto Stadium. That game will be played on March 2.

To their credit, though, RSL has continued to attack in the 10 minutes or so after Beltran's second yellow card. They have also been forced to fend of some dangerous opportunities from the Crew.

The whistle has blown at halftime with the Columbus Crew and Real Salt Lake tied 0-0 in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal match on Tuesday. The conditions are icy, the temperature is cold and the crowd is sparse, but the play on the field has not been as bad as many expected.

There has been no shortage of quality passing, although the finishing has left a lot to be desired. The Crew have had their better opportunities so far, with Emilio Renteria having a shot from about 12 yards saved and Eddie Gaven badly missing an unmarked header at the far post. RSL has generated some decent opportunities, but has not been able to challenge backup goalkeeper Ray Burse.

There has been one booking, with RSL fullback Tony Beltran receiving a yellow card for a wreckless challenge near the end of the half. The play, in general, has been marred by a lot of fouls.

It's tough to say who should be feeling better about themselves at this point. On one hand, the Crew have looked to be the livelier team and have had the better opportunities. On the other, RSL would probably be perfectly happy to head home tied. Their defense has also looked strong in the middle and the Crew are likely going to be forced to do any damage they can muster from the wings.

It would be a stretch to say that either side has looked particularly strong in the early going of tonight's CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal, but there have been a surprising number of dangerous opportunities for both Real Salt Lake and the Columbus Crew. Neither goalkeeper has really been challenged, but the action has been surprisingly centered in the non-central thirds of the field.

The best chance of the match was off the foot of Emilio Renteria, who received a heel pass from Andres Mendoza about 12 yards out. His shot, from a tight angle, was saved by Nick Rimando and went for a corner kick.

The Crew, it is worth noting, have generally had the better of the play. Aside from a few moments of obvious miscommunication, they have looked much better than you'd expect from a side that has never played a competitive match together. RSL has not looked bad, but just have not been able to really generate much.

Blame it on the weather, blame it on the remarkable amount of turnover the Columbus Crew underwent this off-season, but whatever the culprit, no one in Columbus seemed particularly interested in attending tonight's CONCACAF Champions League match against Real Salt Lake. No attendance has been announced, but the feed suggests there are no more than, maybe, a couple thousand people braving the 20-degree weather.

Earlier in the day, the field was covered in snow, and although the field has been cleared, it still looks very icy. It's hard to blame fans for not wanting to come out, but this is not the kind of thing officials were undoubtedly hoping to see as MLS and CONCACAF try to make this seem like a more prestigious tournament.

The good news, if there is any, is that the Crew's supporters' section does look relatively robust considering the conditions. They've been easily heard during introductions and could very well be chanting throughout the match if for no other reason than it's the best way to stay warm. RSL officials have said they expect between 12,000-14,000 for the second leg on March 2.