If the Seattle Sounders are going to pull off the upset in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals, it's looking like they'll have beat Santos Laguna's best. Among the 20 players who reportedly are flying from Torreon, Mexico to Seattle today are all 14 players who appeared in Los Guerreros' most recent Mexican Primera game. The only regulars not to make the trip are forward Carlos Quintero and centerback Rafael Figueroa, both of whom are nursing injuries.
Even if Santos Laguna opted to sit some of their normal starters, they could still field a team of solid pros. Santos Laguna has played nine games so far this season and every one of the players on their travel squad has made at least one appearance.
Full travel roster (stats): Goalkeepers Oswaldo Sanchez (eight starts) and Miguel Becerra (1 start); defenders Ivan Estrada (8 starts), Cesar Ibanez (5 starts), Santiago Hoyos (1 app.), Aaron Galindo (8 starts, two goals), Luis Alberto Garcia (1 appearance), Felipe Baloy (5 apps.), Osmar Mares (5 starts), Antonio Olvera (1 app.); midfielders Rodolfo Salinas (8 starts), Marc Crosas (4 apps.), Juan Pablo Rodriguez (8 starts, Mexican Primera-leading 3 assists), Carlos Morales (7 apps., 2 assists) and Daniel Luduena (8 starts); and forwards Oribe Peralta (9 starts, 5 goals), Christian Suarez (9 starts, 3 goals), Herculez Gomez (6 apps., two goals), Candido Ramirez (4 apps.) and Carlos Ochoa (2 apps.).
We can probably also stop hoping for the weather to make much of a difference, too. The current forecast is for it to be dry and for temperatures to be in the low-40s. The good news, though, is that's about 20 degrees cooler than the night-time temperatures Santos Laguna players are used to.