The first of the two ties takes place at 7:30PM EDT in Washington, DC's Robert F. Kennedy Stadium between DC United (USA) and Pachuca (Mexico). Luis Montes struck twice in the 2nd half of the 1st leg to give Pachuca a 2-0 lead.

The other tie is tightly balanced at 0-0 and will be played at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa at 10:10pm EDT, located in San Jose, Costa Rica's San Juan de Tibás neighborhood between Deportivo Sapissa (CRC) and the Houston Dynamo (USA). As I previously wrote, Houston had chance to win the 1st leg but failed to score and made it hard on themselves. Houston is a very talented team, talented enough to win in Costa Rica, but it's a very tall task. Saprissa, three times winners of the Champions Cup, are well seasoned in continental play and their fans make the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa a hard place to play. This should be a fabulous match.

Seattle's MLS team will be called the Sounders, keeping alive almost 35 years of history. 35 years may not seem like much history to people outside of North America, but in the fragile world of soccer on this continent it's an eternity.

Among the honors won by the Sounders are two divisional titles in the old North American Soccer League, four USL First Division championships (including the most recent), and two trips to the US Open Cup semi-finals (including last season's run which included a 5-1 drubbing of the Colorado Rapids).

The Sounders name won 82% of the total vote as a write-in choice, it was not among the three original choices on offer and a write-in option was only added following the outrage of longtime Sounders fans and many across the country. The original three choices were "Seattle FC", "Seattle Alliance", and "Seattle Republic". Of the three only "Seattle FC" is tolerable, I heard someone describe "Seattle Alliance" as "something that sounds like an HMO", and "Seattle Republic" sounds like a newspaper. In the end the people had their say and justice won out.

Houston Dynamo 0 - 0 Deportivo Saprissa

Houston could have won, should have won, and blew it. Despite having one of North America's biggest teams on the ropes for large periods of the second half Houston simply couldn't find a way to put the ball in the net. Houston dominated the possession after El Monstruo Morado began to develop heavy legs. On at least two occasions US international Brian Ching was the guilty party, missing a sitter in the first half and sending his free header high in the dying minutes.

Saprissa owe their lifeline to Costa Rican international goalkeeper Navas who produced some good saves when called upon, particularly in the first half from Dwayne de Rosario's header.

Houston will have their work cut out for them next week as they travel to the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in San Jose. This is not the Meadowlands. The 25,000-seat stadium is famous for it's hostile atmosphere and will be unlike anything Houston has seen in the United States or even during last year's trip to Estadio Hidalgo to take on Pachuca.