The first leg of the 2007 CONCACAF Champion's Cup quarterfinals resulted in an impressive 4-1 away victory for D.C. United over CD Olimpia of Honduras. It was the team's first-ever win in a competitive match in Latin America.
The result was made even more impressive by the fact that it was the team's first real match in nearly four months. The incredible finishes of a trio of South American imports, including a double by reigning Honda MLS MVP Christian Gomez, give the Black-and-Red an upper hand towards advancing to the Champions' Cup semifinals.
The return match is set for Thursday at RFK Stadium. Tickets are available online at www.dcunited.com or by calling 202-587-5000, so get them NOW!
Pending a series win, United's opponents in the semifinals would be the winner of the match-up between CD Guadalajara (MEX) and W Connection FC (TRI). Although the visiting team CD Guadalajara was the first to strike, the opening game of the series played in Trinidad on Feb. 13 ended in a 2-1 victory by the home team, despite having their goalkeeper sent off with a red card in the first half hour.
The second-leg of their quarterfinal series will see W Connection traveling to face Guadalajara Wednesday night and will be shown live on Fox Soccer Channel at 9:30 p.m. ET. The semifinal series is scheduled for March 13-15 and April 3-5.
In other CCC action, Puntarenas FC (CRC) triumphed over defending MLS Cup champions Houston Dynamo in a 1-0 win where Puntarenas capitalized on a Houston red card by scoring in stoppage time. The second leg is set for Aggie Soccer Complex in College Station, Texas, on Thursday. In Series 2 of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, Pachuca CF (MEX) topped Deportivo Marquense (GUA) 2-0. The two teams meet again in Guatamala Wednesday night.
The 2007 CONCACAF Champions' Cup is being broadcast on television by the Fox Sports International regional programming channels (Fox Soccer Channel - USA; Fox Sports en Español - USA; Fox Sports Net - Canada and Fox Sports Latin America Northern Cone - Caribbean, Central America & Mexico).
Visit the official CONCACAF Champions' Cup web site here >
Fan club brief
New head coach Tom Soehn is making the rounds with United fan clubs of late. Following a tremendously successful opener at United's helm, Soehn participated in a question and answer session with members of the Screaming Eagles over the weekend. He held a similar meeting with Barra Brava Monday night.
Both meet-and-greets allowed participants the opportunity to discuss the Champions' Cup, the coming Major League Soccer Season and a host of other team issues. Members of the Barra Brava meeting were able to hear first-hand about United's triumph over CD Olimpia, as four members of the group, including Barra 'Elder' Robert Gilespie and Paul Callen, were in Honduras to support the Black-and-Red.
BobbyBoswell.com set to launch March 20
Recognizable by the Giant-Red-Head-dot-com promotion, BobbyBoswell.com is set to launch on March 20 with an offering of coveted tickets to the United vs. Galaxy match on Aug. 9, featuring David Beckham's debut in D.C.
BobbyBoswell.com gives Boswell the chance to both reach out to the fans on a more personal basis and control his own site content. In addition, not only does the site allow fans to enter into Boswell's world with videos, interviews and blog-like entries, it also offers fabulous prizes such as autographed photos for its visitors. To see the site, log onto www.bobbyboswell.com.
Welton Carlos Silva trial
Brazilian striker Welton Carlos Silva has joined United on trial this week. He has played all over the globe, previously featuring for clubs in Hungary, France, Brazil and Israel.
