Sounders To Meet Santos In CCL Quarters

Seattle will host the first leg of the quarterfinal series March 6-8 at CenturyLink Field.

On Tuesday, the Sounders FC learned what their path to a CONCACAF Champions League final will look like as CONCACAF unveiled the 2011-2012 Championship Round Draw.

The Sounders will host Mexican side Santos Laguna in the first leg of the quarterfinal series March 6-8 at CenturyLink Field, then play the return leg March 13-15 at Santos’ Estadio Nuevo Corona.

Seattle reached the quarterfinal by posting a 3-2-1 record in the group stage to finish second to Mexico’s Monterrey in Group D.  Santos Laguna topped Group B with a 4-1-1 record, topping Isidro Metapan from El Salvador, the Colorado Rapids and Real Espana from Honduras to win the group.

Santos reached the 2011-2012 Champions League by finishing runners up in the 2010 Mexican Apertura.  They are captained by former Mexican National Team goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez, who capped 99 times for Mexico.  Among their top scorers are Colombian forward Carlos Quintero and Mexican forward Oribe Peralta.  Their leading scorer in the 2011-2012 Champions League is midfielder Jose Maria Cardenas, who scored five goals in the group stage, but only has two goals in 75 league matches for Santos Laguna since joining the club in 2009.

The winner will advance to the semifinals to meet the winner of the series between the LA Galaxy and Toronto FC.  The other side of the bracket pits Isidro Metapan against Pumas UNAM and Monarcas Morelia against CF Monterrey.

Seattle will look to become the second straight MLS side to reach the CCL final after Real Salt Lake fell to Monterrey in last year’s final.

Dates and kickoff times for the matches will be announced in the coming days.

CONCACAF Champions League
(Home teams listed first)

Quarterfinals

First Leg
March 6-8, 2012
Seattle Sounders (USA) vs. Santos (MEX)
Isidro Metapan (SLV) vs. Pumas (MEX)
Toronto FC (CAN) vs. LA Galaxy (USA)
Morelia (MEX) vs. Monterrey (MEX)

Second Leg
March 13-15, 2012
Santos (MEX) vs. Seattle Sounders (USA)
Pumas (MEX) vs. Isidro Metapan (SLV)
LA Galaxy (USA) vs. Toronto FC (CAN)
Monterrey (MEX) vs. Morelia (MEX)

Semifinals

First Leg
March 27-29, 2012
LA Galaxy-Toronto FC winner vs. Santos-Seattle Sounders winner
Monterrey-Morelia winner vs. Pumas-Isidro Metapan winner

Second Leg
April 3-5, 2012
Santos-Seattle Sounders winner vs. LA Galaxy-Toronto FC winner
Pumas-Isidro Metapan winner vs. Monterrey-Morelia winner

Finals
First Leg
April 17-19, 2012
Monterrey-Morelia/Pumas-Metapan winner vs. LA Galaxy-Toronto FC/Santos-Seattle Sounders winner

Second Leg
April 24-26, 2012
LA Galaxy-Toronto FC/Santos-Seattle Sounders winner vs. Monterrey-Morelia/Pumas-Metapan winner