CIUDAD GUATEMALA – 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf League champions Comunicaciones of Guatemala will be out to take things to the next level in the 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League beginning with their Round of 16 first leg clash with the Colorado Rapids on Thursday night at the Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores in Guatemala City.
Comunicaciones were enormously impressive in their SCL run by pouring in nine goals in the Semifinal and Final stage. The man doing most of the damage was FW Juan Anangono, who collected Top Scorer and Best Player honors after finishing the tournament with six goals.
Not to be outdone was Andres Lezcano and Junior Lacayo (no longer in the team), who had five and four goals, respectively. That double-threat, along with SCL Best GK Kevin Moscoso, will be tasked with keeping a talented Rapids side under wraps.
Colorado qualified for the 2022 SCCL by virtue of their first-place finish in the MLS Western Conference during the 2021 regular season and have weapons from back to front.
Midfielders Michael Barrios and Mark-Anthony Kaye have each been on MLS teams that have made deep SCCL runs; Barrios was part of the FC Dallas side that reached the 2016-17 semifinals, while Kaye was a key cog in the LAFC team that was runner-up in 2020.
FW Jonathan Lewis is a scoring threat up top, with seven goals in 2021, while playmaking MF Jack Price collected 12 assists last season.
A well-rounded Rapids squad should make a stiff test for a Comunicaciones side hoping for another magical Concacaf run.
