It was a busy week of local tournament action for Central America's CONCACAF Champions League entrants, as teams gear up for another match day of international play.No less than ten Central American sides are set to see action in this week's CCL slate, and all but one played a match in their local leagues over the weekend.
Things got started on Saturday in Guatemala, where Municipal is preparing to travel to Monterrey for a Group 7 CCL showdown.The Reds will be doing so still smarting from a 2-0 loss at fellow Champions League entrant Xelajú on Saturday night in Quetzaltenango.
Israel Silva put the Superchivos on top just twelve minutes in, and a Pablo Solorzano own goal marked the final difference.Municipal has shown poor form on the road this campaign, managing only two wins from six away outings in the Guatemalan Apertura.All will be forgotten, though, if it can turn that around on Tuesday night in Mexico.
Across the border in El Salvador, all three CCL teams were in action over the weekend.Isidro Metapan -- the only Salvadoran team still alive in the regional tournament -- had its match moved forward to Saturday ahead of a long trip to Puerto Rico midweek, but could draw 1-1 at home to Santa Tecla.Eliseo Quintanilla gave Metapan a short-lived lead in the 5th minute.
FAS also played to a draw, this one without goals against UES.The Tigers now turn their attention to a midweek clash with Olimpia, which they will host in San Salvador.Aguila, also eliminated from the Champions League with a loss at home last week, managed to right its ship with a 2-0 league win on the road at leader Alianza. Jose Isidro Gutierrez and Walter Soto netted second-half goals.
Olimpia added to its lead at the top of the Honduran table with a 2-1 win at Deportes Savio. Roger Rojas and Sebastian Rosano scored for the Lions.Also in Honduras, Marathon won its second straight in league play, 1-0, over Platense.The Green Monster will host Caledonia AIA on Wednesday in San Pedro Sula.
While the defending champion won in Honduras, the title holder in Costa Rica -- Herediano -- wasn't so fortunate.The CCL Group 2 table topper fell 1-0 in its visit to last place San Carlos. Perhaps looking ahead to a vital midweek clash at home against Tauro, "El Team" fell to second in the Costa Rican table.Herediano now sits three points behind fellow CCL entrant Alajuelense, which managed a 1-0 win over Cartigenes thanks to a Jhonny Acosta strike.
Real Esteli, Alajuelsense's next CCL opponent, returned to its winning ways in Nicaragua by knocking off Managua FC on the road, 2-0.Goals from Samuel Wilson and Colombian defender Ronald Jaramillo gave the Northern Train the win, sending the Nicaraguans to Costa Rica with some momentum on the heels of last week's heartbreaking elimination from the CCL.
Tauro, this week's Champions League opponent for the other Costa Rican side, Herediano, had the weekend off from LPF play in Panama, and is set to make up the pending match against fellow CCL competitor Chorrillo next week, after the Toros return from Costa Rica.




