CONCACAF League Week 3 Wrap-Up

The round of 16 kicked off this week, meaning we've now seen the entire field of teams in action at least once. There were a lot of tantalizing first legs played, and after the dust settled it's fair to say all 16 teams are still alive, with the largest margin of victory being just two goals. A great example of the increasing parity in the region.

Santa Tecla 0-0 San Carlos

This was not the prettiest of matches, with honestly the only real good chance of the match coming in the 3rd minute for Santa Tecla, but credit should be given to the hosts for not conceding an away goal and putting them in good position for the second leg.

Robinhood 1-1 Independiente

Robinhood fell behind late in the game and it looked to be a loss that would kill their chances of advancing, but a dramatic stoppage time goal from Shaquille Cairo sent the fans into hysteria and kept the Surinamese side alive.

 Highlights Here

Managua 1-2 Motagua

In their first game since the horrible attacks over the weekend, Motagua escaped with a 2-1 victory thanks to a couple of mistakes from the home side. Remember that the Motagua home leg will be played behind closed doors, so Managua are still very much in it, especially if they can correct the mistakes they made in this game.

Comunicaciones 2-1 Guastatoya

In an all Guatemalan affair that will guarantee the country a place in the quarterfinals and more likely than not a return to the CONCACAF Champions League, Comunicaciones emerged the victors after a wild match. The hosts rallied from behind to claim a 2-1 win and leave the series hanging in the balance heading into next week.

Saprissa 2-0 Águila

Saprissa looked better here than they did in the first round against Belmopan, but Águila produced a lot of really good chances and on another day may have picked up an away goal or two. As it stands, Saprissa are in control but will need to be cautious on the road.

Waterhouse 1-1 Herediano

It was a dream start for the Jamaicans, getting on the board after just three minutes and making the reigning champions really push for that away goal. They eventually got it, but Waterhouse know they are still in this series and a 1-1 draw in the away leg is more than within their capabilities.

Forge 1-0 Olimpia

Forge continues to impress, remaining unbeaten in this tournament and a perfect 2-0 at Tim Horton's Field. The goal came very early from Chris Nanco, and the Canadian side will look now to replicate their efforts from the last round when they head to Honduras (behind closed doors) next week. There were a lot of great chances in this game, including a missed penalty for Olimpia, but a one goal margin of victory was a fair result.

Alianza 2-0 Tauro

Alianza remain the most impressive team in the tournament thus far and one of the most impressive teams on the continent; their league form has been every bit as good as their performance in this tournament. A very comfortable 2-0 win for the hosts means they have a bit of leeway when they travel to Panama for leg 2.