Tigres goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman (right) was one of the standout performers during first leg-matches of the 2015-16 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League semifinals. (Photo: Mexsport)

Despite a lack of goals in both semifinal, first-leg matches last week in the 2015/16 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League, there was plenty of intrigue as Queretaro battled Tigres and Santos Laguna dueled with Club America for a spot in the final. 

CONCACAF.com takes a look at the semifinal, first-leg matches.

TOP SAVES
Nahuel Guzman, Tigres: The 30-year-old Argentine was called into duty several times to preserve Tigres’ road draw against Queretaro, with his best intervention coming in the 35th minute.  Angel Sepulveda had reached a through ball behind the Tigres defense, but as he tried to direct it over Guzman with his thigh, the charging goalkeeper reached his arms up just in time to intercept.

Tiago Volpi, Queretaro: While Volpi may not have been kept quite as busy as his Tigres counterpart, he was just as sure-handed for the Gallos Blancos when called into action.  His most important moment came four minutes after Guzman’s, lunging to his near post to deny Rafael Sobis.

NEAR MISSES
Rubens Sambueza, Club America: Featuring more often as America’s top distributor, Sambueza was unlucky not to score his second goal of the tournament in the 49th minute.  After taking a layoff pass near the top of the penalty area, Sambueza curled a left-footed attempt that sailed just fractions high of the left corner and skimmed off the back goal frame.

Osvaldo Martinez, Club America: With time winding down, Martinez found space for himself on the edge of the penalty area and for a moment looked like he might lift the visitor to victory.  Instead, his firm, low effort fizzed just wide of the left post as the Aguilas settled for a draw at the Estadio Corona.

Edgar Benitez, Queretaro: Shortly after Tigres’ Guzman denied Angel Sepulveda, Benitez got behind the visitor’s backline with another chance to put the Gallos Blancos ahead.  With little time to think, he reacted to poke a shot past Guzman, but just inches wide of the right post.

TURNING POINTS
A Counterattack Comes to Nothing: Santos’ most promising moment of the first half may have come in the 32nd minute when Jorge Villafaña darted on a dangerous run down the center channel, which began in his defensive half.  Villafaña held his pass too late, playing Martin Bravo offside.  America regrouped and held sway over the final stages of opening 45 minutes.

Jurgen Damm Leaves Early: After a scary looking knee-on-knee collision, the influential Tigres winger had to depart in the 12th minute of the first leg against Queretaro.  The visitor struggled to create chances for the remainder of the first half, though Lucas Zelarayan -- Damm’s replacement -- did fire just over the bar eight minutes before halftime.

TOP INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE
Nahuel Guzman, Tigres: Of the four goalkeepers who recorded shutouts during the first leg of the SCCL semifinals, Guzman was the busiest with five saves.  In addition to snuffing out Sepulveda’s first-half breakaway, his 57th-minute diving stop to deny Edgar Benitez was more difficult that it looked at first glance

TOP TEAM PERFORMANCE
Club America: For a second straight round of the SCCL, America began a two-leg tie with a crucial road draw; this time holding Santos scoreless after its 2-2 tie with the Seattle Sounders a month ago.  The Aguilas even had the better chances late at the Estadio Corona.

ONE LAST THING
The scoreless draws in both semifinals mark the first time there have been two scoreless draws in the same knockout round of any SCCL.  There have been six previous scoreless draws in the SCCL final eight, all of them coming in the first leg.  Four out of six times, the home team in the second leg emerged victorious, including Santos in this year’s quarterfinals.