Motagua - Monarcas Morelia

CONCACAF Champions League, Group Stage

Very interesting situation in Group A, where the 3 big teams are all tied with 6 points, so a wrong step against lowly Motagua could prove to be a disaster for any of them. And Monarcas should know that well enough, so 3 points are a must here, since they will have a very tough game in LA, with their last match at home against Alajuelense, which isn't supposed to be a walk in the park either. Motagua are as good as knocked-out for this competition, with 0 points at the half-way stage, so they should turn their focus on the national league, where they aren't doing very well either, sitting on the last place, with just 4 points after 6 games. No word about Morelia's line-up for this match, nor the squad that will be travelling to Honduras, but I'm expecting the usual mixed squad for them, maybe a little stronger than usual, as they simply can't afford another wrong turn. Anyway, with Motagua's form in the Champions League, losing all 3 matches by at least 2 goals difference, I'm quite confident that even a second-string Monarcas team should be able to do the job. GL!

Monarcas (-0.5 AH) @ 1.86, 4/10

Result: 0-2, WON

Monarcas Morelia - LA Galaxy

CONCACAF Champions League, Group Stage

I going to back a Mexican team against an MLS team again, as I simply can't believe that Monarcas will be the third team not to win against the Americans in this season. Now, it's clear that LA Galaxy are probably the best team in the MLS at the moment, and their league position says a lot about their quality. But, they did look a bit tired in their last match against the Rapids, and we all know that American teams find it hard to play 3 games in a week at the same level, and this will be the third one. Moreover, they will miss 2 of their key players, as Beckham didn't travel, and Juninho is suspended after last round's red card. And tonight they will play at altitude (Morelia is situated at nearly 2000 meters above sea level), and in a tough stadium. Monarcas went through a tough run, but lately they have shown a lot of improvement, having 4 consecutive matches without defeat, including a win at mighty Cruz Azul last weekend. Reports are giving a full squad for Monarcas tonight, with all their regulars set to start, and I believe they should have too much for the Galaxy, especially since they are pretty much forced to win here, otherwise they can put their qualifying chances in jeopardy. GL!

Monarcas @ 1.81, 3/10

Result: 2-1, WON

Tempete FC - Monarcas Morelia

CONCACAF Champions League

Morelia have resolved the qualification problem since last week, with a 5-0 trashing of the Haitians, so now it will be just a formality. The coach already said he will use an alternative squad (meaning that none of the players that performed in the first 3 matches will be on the pitch today), as there is no use in risking an injury or suspension in what should be a comfortable match. But even so, the difference in quality between the Mexican reserves and the Haitian regulars should still be sky high, and Morelia can still win by a couple of goals. I wouldn't have even looked at this game under this circumstances, and at this price/line if Morelia was playing away from home, but here is the interesting thing: this match will be played on Estadio Morelo, Monarcas's home stadium, where they recorded the 5-0 last week. This measure comes as Tempete's stadium still hasn't been fully reconstructed following the 2010 Haitian eartquake, so CONCACAF has allowed them to play as hosts on Morelia's stadium. I'll lower the stakes for this match, as after a 5-0 in the first leg, the Mexican players can even sleep on the pitch and still qualify, but if they play at least at 50% of their capacity, they should still win it comfortably. GL!

Monarcas (-2.25 AH) @ 1.67, 4/10

Result: 0-2, HALF LOST

Monarcas Morelia - Tempete FC

CONCACAF Champions League

This is the clearest match from all of the Preliminary round. Tempete is a team from Haiti, and is the poorest from this competition, along Alpha United. They qualified for the Champions League by finishing second in the CFU Club Championship, but even there, they did not impress. They needed penalties in the second round to go past Caledonia from T&T, moved to the final after another penalty shoot-out in the semi-final against Defence Force (also from T&T), and were beaten in the final by the Puerto Rico Islanders, 1-3 after extra-time. Now let's put them against Monarcas Morelia, a team that should be 3 or 4 classes above any team from the Carribean zone, and we should have a real trashing here. Haitians are a no match for Mexicans, under any circumstances, and this match should be no different. Monarcas should win by a minimum of 5-0, because that represents the quality gap, and from there they can score just for the fun. GL!

Monarcas (-2 AH) @ 1.58, 8/10

Result: 5-0, WON