Thanks to an unlikely win by a mostly reserve LA Galaxy side over Metapan in El Salvador, the Seattle Sounders will face Mexican Primera side Tigres de la UANL in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League. The 2011 Apertura champions currently sit 11th in the league, and advanced to the knockout stage of the Champions League with a 2-2-0 record in a group with Costa Rican side Alajuelense and defending Nicaraguan champions Real Esteli.
Given the Sounders 4-0-0 record in the group stage, having to travel to Monterrey to face a Mexican Primera side is a somewhat difficult pill to swallow. That's the unfortunate reality of CCL play however, and though Tigres present a difficult challenge the draw could have been much worse. With homefield advantage, the Sounders only need to keep things close in order to make progress over this season's final standing in CCL play.
In any case, there's likely to be a fair amount of roster churn before March, when then next round of Champions League play begins. While facing off against Herediano or another MLS side would have been preferable, there's little sense in dwelling on the luck of the draw so far in advance. The Sounders did more than their part in the group stage, and the knockout rounds were never going to be easy; if nothing else, perhaps the challenge presented by Tigres will give the Sounders the kind of challenge that can prepare them for the bigger tests to come in the rounds ahead.