Fire meet Tigres in SuperLiga final

MATCH BACKGROUND

The Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer and Tigres UANL of Mexico's FMF Primera Division meet in the third SuperLiga final, with the representative of the U.S. top flight trying to become the third MLS team to win the annual competition.

Past history
The teams have already met in this year's SuperLiga competition, with Tigres UANL claiming a 2-1 victory in the final game in play in Group B. Armando Pulido scored twice for Tigres in the 37th and 61st minutes, to give Tigres the upper hand in advancement to the semifinals. Cuauhtémoc Blanco converted a penalty in the 85th minute - after goalscorer Pulido had committed a foul on Patrick Nyarko - that guaranteed Chicago's passage to the final four. It was the first ever meeting in any competition between the clubs.

Continental honors
This is the fifth time clubs from the USA and Mexico will be meeting for continental honors in an official competition, the second time in SuperLiga. In 1997, the LA Galaxy became the first U.S. club ever to reach the final of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, although they lost 5-3 to CDSC Cruz Azul of Mexico. The following year, D.C. United became the first U.S. club ever to win the continent's biggest club prize, defeating Mexico's CD Toluca 1-0 in the final. Then in 2001, D.C. United lost 2-0 to Club América in the final of the first and only CONCACAF Giants Cup. In 2007, the LA Galaxy and Pachuca CF met in the inaugural SuperLiga final, Pachuca winning in a penalty shootout after the teams played to a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes.

First honors
The winner of SuperLiga 2009 will be crowned champion of an international competition for the first time. The Chicago Fire reached the semifinals of two competitions - the CONCACAF Champions' Cup in both 1999 and 2005 - but did not reach the final on either occasion. Tigres UANL had reached a semifinal on one previous occasions - in their international debut in the 1979 CONCACAF Champions' Cup, falling to CD F.A.S. of El Salvador.

A historic confrontation
The USA-Mexico rivalry has certainly become the biggest in the region over the past decade, and arguably one of the biggest in the world. On the national team level, Mexico defeated the USA on U.S. soil for the first time since 1999 in a 5-0 victory in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final on July 26. The countries meet again on the national team level on August 12 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico D.F. Since the beginning of Major League Soccer, Mexican clubs have won 26 of the 51 meetings all-time in official competitions (with seven draws), outscoring U.S. clubs 92-68. But in SuperLiga competition, U.S. clubs have held the advantage, winning 12 of 25 meetings with Mexican clubs (with seven draws), holding a 34-26 edge in goals scored.

DOMESTIC FORM GUIDE

Chicago Fire

The Chicago Fire extended their undefeated run to five games in league play and six games in all competitions at the weekend. MLS All-Stars Cuauhtémoc Blanco and Wilman Conde were both given the night in advance of the SuperLiga final; Blanco has also been called into Mexico's squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifier against the USA.

08.01.09: Chicago Fire - Real Salt Lake 1:0
Patrick Nyarko scored the game's lone goal in the 76th minute to give the Fire a second victory at Toyota Park after going more than three months in league competition without one. Tim Ward swung in a long cross from the left flank and Nyarko snuck behind his defender to volley home his fourth goal of the season. The Fire have now not allowed a goal in the last 374 minutes in MLS play, with shutouts in four consecutive matches.

07.25.09: Seattle Sounders FC - Chicago Fire 0:0
Both teams were left a man short within five minutes in the second half at Qwest Field. Chicago's John Thorrington received his second yellow card in the 54th minute to put the Fire shorthanded. But in the 59th, Freddie Ljungberg was booked by referee Baldomero Toledo for an apparent dive, then shown a second yellow for dissent after the call.

07.18.09: Chicago Fire - San Jose Earthquakes 2:0
Just when it seemed the match would meander to another scoreless draw, the Fire struck twice in the final 10 minutes as second-half substitute Cuauhtemoc Blanco turned the game around. First, in the 82nd minute, he lofted a soft ball into the area and Patrick Nyarko was able to swing it past goalkeeper Joe Cannon. Then in stoppage time, from an intercepted clearance, Blanco took a pass at the edge of the area and stood on the ball. He then lifted a subtle chip that Cannon could barely get a finger on, the ball just looping over him and settling into the back of the net.

International background
The Chicago Fire reached the semifinals of their first ever international competition, the 1999 CONCACAF Champions' Cup. After defeating Joe Public FC (TRI) in the quarterfinals, they were eliminated on penalty kicks by LD Alajuelense of Costa Rica. The Fire reached the quarterfinals of the 2002 CONCACAF Champions' Cup (W v Municipal/GUA; L v Monarcas Morelia/MEX), then made it to the semifinals in the 2005 Champions' Cup, getting past San Juan Jabloteh (TRI) in the quarters before losing to Costa Rica's Deportivo Saprissa in the semifinals.

Tigres UANL

Tigres UANL have opened the 2009 Apertura with a draw and a victory in their first two matches. Tigres sit level at the top of Group 3 in the FMF Primera Division with Club Santos Laguna, each team with four points from its first two games, though Tigres have a better goal differential.

08.01.09: CD Guadalajara - Tigres UANL 1:3
Itamar Batista scored two goals as Chivas were booed off the field in a 3-1 win by Tigres at Estadio Jalisco in Guadalajara. After just five minutes, Francisco Fonseca put Tigres into the lead with a bicycle kick, then Batista scored in the 33rd and 61st minutes to seal the victory for Tigres. Javier Hernández scored the lone goal for Chivas in the 50th minute. Tigres coach Daniel Guzman was able to call upon defender José Antonio Castro, after his performance in the CONCACAF Gold Cup for Mexico, the only change made from the season opener, Castro coming in at right back for Javier Saavedra.

07.25.09: Tigres UANL - Puebla FC 1:1
Tigres opened the 2009 Apertura with a 1-1 draw against Puebla at Estadio Universitario. Carlos Ruiz put Puebla into the lead in the 53rd minute, converting a penalty kick, but Lucas Lobos equalized with a direct free kick 20 minutes later. Gastón Fernández was suspended for the match, serving the first of his two-match ban.

International background
Reformed in 1967, Tigres UANL made their Primera Division debut in 1974/75, and their international debut came in the 1979 CONCACAF Champions' Cup after winning their first Mexican championship. That year, they eliminated Soccer University AC of the USA before losing to CD F.A.S. in the tournament semifinal; two years later, they defeated Xelaju of Guatemala before being eliminated by Atletico Marte (SLV). In 1983, they again reached a second round, defeating CD Olimpia (HON) before losing to Suchitepequez (GUA). Tigres twice qualified for the Copa Libertadores by qualifying through success in Interliga, winning in 2005. That year, they advanced all the way to the quarterfinals before losing to Sao Paulo FC of Brazil, then in 2006 reached the second round before falling to Libertad of Paraguay on penalty kicks. Tigres UANL have won two Mexican titles (1977/78; 1981/82).