The Montreal Impact is headed to Guatemala to play its second game of the CONCACAF Champions League group stage against CD Heredia – a club that isn’t well known in terms of the international stage. Impact media did manage to find a few tidbits of info on the Impact’s next CCL opponents.
1. How they qualified
CD Heredia qualified for the Champions League thanks to its second place finish in the Clausura, the winter portion of the Guatemalan Liga Nacional soccer season. Heredia fell to Communicaciones in the final, who had already qualified (Group 6) due to its first place finish in the Apertura (summer season). The club is made up mostly of Guatemalan players.
2. Player watch: Osman Lopez
Striker Osman Lopez is leading his team with three goals in two games played this season, tying him for the league lead after two matches. He scored twice in the 3-0 win over Universidad, including a spectacular header from outside the 18-yard-box (Click here for the match highlights). In 25 games last year, mostly as a sub, he scored five times.
3. Playing away from home
Even though it’s a home game for the Guatemalan side, CD Heredia will not be playing in its home stadium. The 8,000 seat Estadio Del Monte, in Morales, Guatemala, does not comply with CONCACAF regulations. Therefore, CD Heredia will have to take a 4-hour bus ride to Guatemala City (home of arch rivals Communicaciones) to play the game. Estadio Cementos Progreso was built in 1991, but the grass field was replaced with a turf field in 2010.
Tune into the matchup on Wednesday, at 10pm (ET) on Sportsnet and TVA Sports to watch the game live!
