Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/494191
231 Starting in August 2008, CONCACAF debuted the CONCACAF Champions League to decide who would be crowned the best club team in the region and represent CONCACAF in the FIFA World Club Cup. The Galaxy were first entered in the CONCACAF Champions League in July 2010. As the reigning MLS Cup runner-up, the Galaxy were drawn into the Preliminary Round of the competition, where they met the Puerto Rico Islanders. LA were shocked in the first leg at home, losing 4-1, leaving them an uphill climb heading into the second leg on the road in Puerto Rico. The Galaxy were able to win that game 2-1 with Sean Franklin scoring the game-winning-goal for his first-ever goal for the club, but it was not enough and LA were eliminated by a score of 5-3 on aggregate. After winning the Supporters' Shield in 2010, Bruce Arena's squad once again qualified for the Champions League, this time bypassing the Preliminary Round and being drawn into Group A of the 2011/12 edition of the competition with LD Alajuelense of Costa Rica, Club Motagua of Honduras and Monarcas Morelia from Mexico. LA quickly raced out to the top spot in the group, winning home games over Motagua and Alajuelense before heading to Mexico to face Morelia. Looking for their first-ever win in Mexico in an official game, the Galaxy led 1-0 and appeared to take a 2-1 lead in the 90th minute, only to see Robbie Keane's goal waved off at one end of the field while the hosts went down the field an scored a winner of their own, stealing three points from the Galaxy. Another road loss, this time to Alajuelense in Costa Rica, left the Galaxy in need of a win at home against Morelia in order to stay alive in the competition. They were able to get just that with Juninho scoring early in second half stoppage time to give LA a 2-1 victory. That win allowed the Galaxy to go to Honduras for the final group game knowing that a win would see them become just the second MLS team to win their group in the competition. Juninho was once again the hero, scoring a first half goal to give LA the 1-0 win that allowed them to finish in first place in the group on tiebreakers and advance to the quarterfinals. However, that would be as far as the Galaxy would go as they were eliminated 4-3 on aggregate by Toronto FC. Mike Magee and Landon Donovan helped LA erase a 2-0 deficit in the first leg in Toronto to claim a 2-2 draw, only for the Galaxy to fall 2-1 in the return leg at The Home Depot Center a week later, handing the club their first home loss in more than 16 months and knocking them out of the Champions League.. As a result of winning MLS Cup 2011, the Galaxy qualified for the Champions League for a third straight season, facing Isidro Metapan of El Salvador and the Puerto Rico Islanders in the Group Stage of the newly formatted tournament. A pair of home wins to open group play set LA on their way to a 3-0-1 record, which was good for the top spot in Group 5 and a berth in the Champions League Quarterfinals. LA outscored their opponents 12-4 in the four games with Jack McBean scoring a team-high three goals while Juninho and Michael Stephens added two each and Brian Perk kept two clean sheets in his three appearances. In the quarterfinals, the Galaxy knocked off CS Herediano of Costa Rica, winning the series 4-1 on aggregate. A 0-0 draw in the first leg in Costa Rica on March 7 set the stage for the all important second leg at The Home Depot Center six days later. In that game, Omar Gonzalez gave LA a 1-0 lead heading into halftime before Jose Villarreal and Robbie Keane scored second half goals to put the game, and the series out of reach. Herediano pulled a goal back in the 85th minute before Jack McBean completed the scoring with a stoppage time tally, sending the Galaxy through to the semifinals for the first time ever. There, the Galaxy will face the two-time Champions League winners Monterrey. The first leg will be played at The Home Depot Center on April 3 with the return leg a week later on April 10 at Monterrey's Estadio Technologico. The winner of the series will advance to the Champions League Finals, where they will face the winner of the series between Santos Laguna of Mexico and Seattle Sounders FC. If the Galaxy become the second MLS team ever to reach the Champions League Finals, they would be on the road for the first leg on April 24 before hosting the second leg at The Home Depot Center on May 1. In addition to playing in the 2012-13 Champions League, the Galaxy have also qualified for the 2013-14 edition of the tournament, with the draw to be held early in the summer. CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE