TORREÓN, Mexico – The Seattle Sounders face a daunting task, but it's one they are confident they can overcome.
That was the general message from the club as they touched down in Mexico on Sunday night ahead of the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions League semifinal series against Santos Laguna on Tuesday (8 pm ET, Fox Soccer, live chat on MLSsoccer.com).
Down 1-0 in the series after losing at home last week, Seattle will need to grab a result under hostile conditions if they are to move on to the tournament finals, but they have the belief that they can do just that.
“A comeback is doable because it’s only one goal,” Mauro Rosales told reporters at Torreón Airport. “The last game, we were in a worse situation and we were able to get past Tigres so we anticipate that we can do the right things to get a result.”
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A win at Estadio Corona, where they lost 6-1 last year under similar circumstances, would not only help the Sounders keep their dreams of being the first MLS team to win the CCL alive. It would also alleviate some of the mounting pressure the club is feeling after their winless start to the MLS season.
“Right now, at a time early in the [season] where everything is not going good I think it’s a time that’s going to define us as a team and our character,” Eddie Johnson told MLSsoccer.com. “We couldn’t ask for a better task Tuesday, but the team’s really looking forward to the game.”
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Seattle may have confidence, but history is not on their side. Few MLS clubs have gone on to win in Mexico, and the Sounders were routed in the second leg quarterfinals of last year’s tournament.
Still, the they're keeping the faith that they have what it takes to pull off the upset.
“Anything is possible, but we know it’s going to be a tough game,” said Johnson. “It’s very difficult to play here and we experienced that last season but we’ve got a new group. … We’re down here to get a good result.”
