TORONTO FC vs. SANTOS LAGUNA
BMO FIELD, Toronto
March 28, 2012 (CCL semifinal first leg)
8 pm ET (Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet One, Fox Soccer, TeleFutura)
Toronto FC take on Club Santos Laguna on Wednesday night in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League semifinal at BMO Field.
After discarding another continental giant in LA Galaxy at the quarterfinals stage, the Reds will look to surprise again. The task this time is more difficult with injuries eating away at the squad, combined with the mid-season form of Mexican league leader Santos. However, Toronto hopes a few tactical adjustments will put them in a position to concede fewer goals.
WATCH: De Klerk on TFC's game plan
Toronto FC
Became first team from Canada to advance to the CCL semifinals with 4-3 aggregate triumph over the LA Galaxy in the quarterfinals. Jamaican international Ryan Johnson scored a goal in each of the two games.
• Group Stage record: 3 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses (7 GF, 7 GA)...2nd Place, Group C. All-Time CCL record: 9 wins, 6 draws, 5 losses (23 GF, 22 GA). All-Time CCL home record: 5 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses (11 GF, 8 GA).
• 1 win, 2 draws, 1 loss in last 4 CCL home games (4 GF, 4 GA).
• 3 wins, 2 draws, 0 losses in last 5 CCL games (9 GF, 4 GA)...scored 2 or more goals in each of last 3 CCL games.
• 8 of last 11 goals scored in the CCL have come in the 1st half...4 of Ryan Johnson’s 5 CCL goals have been scored in the 1st half.
• 1 win, 2 draws, 1 loss in 4 CCL games v Mexican opposition.
• 2011/12 CCL scorers: Ryan Johnson (5 goals); Joao Plata (4 goals); Danny Koevermans (2); Julian De Guzman, Peri Marosevic, Luis Silva, Nick Soolsma (1 goal each).
WATCH: Kocic talks rebounding after SJ loss
Santos Laguna
Advanced to second-ever appearance in CCL semifinals thanks to a 6-1 quarterfinal, second-leg rout of the Seattle Sounders to win the series 7-3 on aggregate. U.S. international Herculez Gomez scored 3 goals over the two games.
• Group Stage record: 4 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss (16 GF, 6 GA).
• All-Time CCL record: 17 wins, 3 draws, 10 losses (75 GF, 43 GA).
• All-Time CCL away record: 3 wins, 3 draws, 9 loss (21 GF, 29 GA)...conceded 2 or more goals in 11 of those games.
• 1 win in last 8 CCL away games (4-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids on September 13, 2011).
• Lost to Mexico’s Atlante in 2008/09 semifinals 4-3 on aggregate (home: 2-1 win; away: 1-3 loss)...Carlos Darwin Quintero scored both goals in victory.
• Scored 3 or more goals in 7 of last 14 CCL games.
• 2011/12 CCL scorers: Oribe Peralta, Christian Suárez (5 goals each); Carlos Darwin Quintero (4); Herculez Gomez, Carlos Ochoa (3 goals each); José María Cárdenas, Juan Carlos Enríquez, Jesús Escoboza, Aarón Galindo, Daniel Ludueña, Juan Pablo Rodríguez, own-goal (1 goal each).
