Crew Forward Emilio Renteria celebrates the goal that sent Columbus to the quarterfinals
(AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
The Columbus Crew on Tuesday learned that they will open their 2010 season with a two-match series against Mexican power Toluca. The first game will be played March 9-11 at Columbus Crew Stadium, with the second game scheduled for the following week (March 16-18) at Nemesio Diez stadium in Toluca.
Columbus qualified for this series by placing second in their group during last fall's CONCACAF Champions League, with a record of two wins, two ties, and two losses. Toluca advanced to the quarterfinals after winning their group with a record of 4-1-1. Each qualified for the Champions League by winning a league championship in 2008.
The Crew were the only American soccer team to advance to the quarterfinals this year after DC United and the Houston Dynamo finished third in their respective groups. Last year, in the inaugural edition of the Champions League, Houston advanced to the quarterfinals before losing to Mexican club Atlante.
| Year | Opponent | Competition | Result |
| 2002 | Tigres | Exhibition | 1-2 loss |
| 2003 | Morelia | Champions Cup | 0-6 road loss 2-0 home win |
| 2007 | Tecos | Exhibition | 2-0 win |
| 2009 | Cruz Azul | Champions League | 0-5 road loss 0-2 home loss |
This will be the third time Columbus has faced off against a Mexican team in an official competition, with the Crew still looking for their first series victory. They have previously played two-leg series against Morelia (in the 2003 Champions Cup, predecessor to the Champions League), and this fall against Cruz Azul. The Crew split the 2003 series with Morelia, losing 0-6 on the road before a 2-0 home victory, but Morelia advanced because of the 2-6 aggregate score. Columbus lost both games against Cruz Azul this fall, 0-5 in Mexico and 0-2 in Columbus - the team's first home loss in any competition in more than a year.
Toluca has been one of the powerhouses of Mexican soccer over the past several years. The Mexican league plays two half-season tournaments every year, the Apertura (opening half, from July - December) and Clausura (closing half, from January - May). Toluca won the 2008 Apertura championship, and has advanced to the playoffs after each of the past four seasons. Most recently, the team finished the 2009 Apertura regular season in first place, and is currently preparing for a quarterfinal series against San Luis.
Columbus will not play a competitive game before this series, and will open the 2010 MLS league season on March 27th against Toronto FC.
Comments
Dam this will be a tough test. Toluca has one of th best srikers in Mexico, Hector Mancilla, so this shold be interesting.
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