MIAMI, Florida – Alianza of El Salvador will begin their fifth Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League campaign when they meet the Philadelphia Union in the first leg of the 2023 SCCL Round of 16 on Tuesday night at the historic Estadio Cuscatlan in San Salvador, El Salvador.

While it will be the first ever meeting between these two clubs, it will be the 29th match in the SCCL era between teams from El Salvador and the United States, with teams from the U.S. holding an 18W-3D-7L edge.

Alianza are back in the SCCL after missing out on the 2021 and 2022 editions, but many of the players who comprised their SCCL teams in 2019 and 2020 will be in the fold, including DF Alexander Larin and MF Marvin Monterroza.

Larin has a wealth of Concacaf experience, having played 33 international matches and was a member of the Comunicaciones team that reached last season’s quarterfinals. Monterroza always seems to be an important in Concacaf, with four goals in 29 games.

The Alianza teams of the 2019 and 2020 tournaments delivered valiant performances in their respective Round of 16 contests, with each side getting eliminated by the thinnest of margins. In 2019 a shot off the post prevented Alianza from stunning Monterrey, while a last-second goal from GK Nahuel Guzman gave Tigres a dramatic series victory. On each of those occasions, Monterrey and Tigres would go on to win the title.

Game Notes, Stats Alianza FC vs Philadelphia Union 

Stats Alianza FC vs Philadelphia Union
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A good result in the first leg at home could provide the pathway to a first ever knockout round series win for Alianza, but the Union will certainly have other ideas.

Philadelphia debuted in the SCCL in 2021 and made a deep run to the semifinals. Much of that team is still intact, with players like MF Alejandro Bedoya and GK Andre Blake. The latter had three clean sheets in the 2021 edition and then registered another 15 during the 2022 MLS season.

Daniel Gazdag will be another player that will concern the Alianza defense. The attacking midfielder poured in 22 goals last season in MLS and already has two goals this season.