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Kenneth Hernández Cerdas
CONCACAF.com
ALAJUELA, Costa Rica - The difference of one goal kept Liga Deportiva Alajuelense from last year's CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals. It's not something the team - or midfielder Pablo Gabas -- has forgotten.
The 30-year-old naturalized Argentinean is an nine-year veteran of the red and blacks, known locally simply as "Liga", and as its captain and inspirational leader realizes this year's confederation championship offers the Costa Rican side another chance.
"We have high expectations," Gabas said. "The past year we had a good tournament but it wasn't enough. Now with this new opportunity, we want to pass the first round based on what happened last season."
With the tournament changing format from four groups of four teams to eight groups of three - and only the group winner advancing, Gabas sees a higher requirement than years past. He thinks it will be tougher to advance especially with the club facing the well-known Tigres of Mexico and the more modest Real Esteli of Nicaragua.
"The competition's format changes and there's a tough opponent like Tigres, but in the past tournament we have had tough opponents like Morelia and the (LA) Galaxy and we beat them at home," he said. "Overall it will depend a lot on the match in Monterrey (against Tigres). At home we can be strong, however, a good result there can give us the qualification."
Last year, Alajuelense finished tied with the Galaxy and Morelia with 12 points each, but was edged out for the quarterfinals by both rivals on goal difference. With only one team advancing from each group this season makes it that much harder.
"The tournament will be a lot of tougher and goes right into the Group Stage," he said. "There's less margin of error than last year. You have to take advantage and take points both home and away."
Alajuelense will begin the tournament on August 22 against Tigres in the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto - where it was unbeaten in the Champions League last year. Six days later "Liga" will travel to Nicaragua to face Esteli in its second match in Group 6.
It will return home on September 26 to play Esteli before closing the opening round against Tigres in Monterrey on October 24.
For a club that won the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 1986 and 2004, Gabas says that the expectations are high, and therefore the "Rojinegros" (red and blacks) are only thinking the Club World Cup, which goes only to the tournament champion.
"Here in Costa Rica, I've been able to win a lot," he said. "I won the CONCACAF title in 2004 but the Club World Cup didn't exist yet. I also won the UNCAF club title.
"In other words, I've been able to win almost all the regional titles in my clubs. Therefore, the Club World Cup is dream, a goal, because there you compete against the best. You have to do things well and mess up little in order to get the results needed."
