Pachuca looks to Champions League for revival

March 10, 2010

Perhaps a return to the CONCACAF Champions League can revitalize Pachuca’s fortunes.

Having lost its last two Mexican Clausura matches by identical 3-0 results, Pachuca will head to Estadio Mateo Flores in Guatemala City to take on Comunicaciones in the opening leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals Wednesday night.

“We need to be relaxed and reverse the situation on Wednesday,” Pachuca coach Guillermo Rivarola said. “[We need to] keep thinking because the chances are still intact.”

Pachuca finished atop the Champions League’s Group A four months ago, but has stumbled in the Mexican Clausura. Fourth in the Group 2, three points behind America, the Tuzos ares winless in their last four league matches (0-3-1), including their last two to Pumas and Monterrey.

“I think we have lost a little bit of trust, because it is a team different for Mexican football,” Rivarola said. “We have not gotten that regularity that we want. That is why I think the players have lost trust.”

Despite a second straight lopsided defeat on Saturday, Rivarola was enthused by his team’s play immediately after halftime, although it could not overcome a disastrous opening 45 minutes.

“The team did not start off right during the first half. They looked like a somewhat fearful team, without conviction that we could win this game,” Rivarola said. “Monterrey did not do [a lot]. They found themselves with a free kick and that changed everything.”

On Wednesday, Pachuca will be without Jose Francisco Torres and Luis Arturo Montes, both serving one-game suspensions that carry over from the group stage.

After selling Christian Gimenez to Mexican rival Cruz Azul, Pachuca acquired Croatian forward Dario Cvitanich on loan from Ajax, while legendary midfielder Gabriel Caballero retired on November 18. His No. 8 will be retired for five years to honor the player with the most appearances (351) in club history. Caballero is now a Pachuca assistant coach.

Los Cremas, meanwhile, are again atop the Guatemalan Clausura with 20 points from 11 matches. With coach Julio Cesar Gonzalez choosing to rest several regulars before the Champions League clash against Pachuca, Comunicaciones drew with Xinabajul 1-1 on Saturday.

Costa Rican Rolando Fonseca struck for Comunicaciones, which made no major moves since finishing second in Group D in the CONCACAF Champions League group stage four months ago.

Concacaf

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