BIO Giovanni Savarese is a former Venezuelan international who has played professionally on three continents, including in his native country, and now works as an analyst for the ESPN family of networks, which is a CONCACAF Champions League TV partner. He scored 10 goals in 30 games for the "Vinotinto" before retiring as a player in 2007. ARCHIVE: 8/26/11 | 4/22/11 | 2/25/11 | 10/22/10 | 9/24/10 | 8/27/10 | 8/7/10

While most Major League Soccer teams stumbled through the third round of the CONCACAF Champions League, the Seattle Sounders continue to storm through will a full sail.

Sigi Schmid's outfit took only three minutes to get the lead in Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in San Jose, Costa Rica, and went on to a third straight win, 2-1, in the Group Stage.

It was a second away win, moved Seattle atop Group D with nine points and put it within reach of the quarterfinals. Only one other team is unbeaten, FC Dallas, and it was staggered by being held to a 1-1 draw at home by Tauro this week.

The Sounders have achieved the best record in the Champions League with an offense that has produced a tournament-best seven goals (seven), and the second-fewest goals allowed (two).

While Kasey Keller has been the anchor in goal, Seattle has relied on five different scorers since the start of the Preliminary Round to provide the goals, including two from Fredy Montero against Herediano.

Seattle's performance is a complete reversal from last year, when it lost its first four matches in the Group Stage. Group D also has been turned upside down, with Seattle three points in front of Guatemala's Comunicaciones and six ahead of defending champion Monterrey, which lost its second straight after winning the title last year without losing once.

In the other groups, Mexican teams regained their footing, with Morelia and Pumas winning at home and Santos easily winning away at Colorado.

Pumas was quite blunt by beating Toronto FC 4-0, abandoning its policy of using younger players in non-league matches and overwhelming a Canadian side that never managed to find any rhythm.

Similarly, Santos jumped ahead of Colorado after 14 minutes and led 4-0 before second-half substitute Brian Mullan managed a consolation goal in the 77th.

Morelia also won at home, but needed the intervention of fate on a disputed goal and a disallowed goal by Los Angeles to rally with two late strikes for a 2-1 win.

The result, combined with Alajuelense's 4-2 win over Motauga, has left Morelia, Los Angeles and Alajuelense tied atop Group A with six points.

Elsewhere, despite allowing a 41st-minute penalty and settling for a 1-1 draw against Tauro to interrupt its winning streak, FC Dallas sits atop Group C with seven points, three ahead of Pumas.

Since only two teams that have earned 10 points in the Group Stage have not reached the quarterfinals (Saprissa in 2008-09 and D.C. United in 2009-10), Seattle and Dallas can feel fairly comfortable about their knockout round chances with three games remaining, including two of those at home.

The fourth round will even further clarify which teams are practically qualified for the quarterfinals, and which club's situations are growing more desperate.