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11/22/2024 08:00:51 am

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CONCACAF Champions League 2015-2016: Herediano vs Isidro Metapán, Preview, Prediction and Predicted Lineup

Esteban Granados

(Photo : Reuters) Herediano's Esteban Granados celebrates his goal against Olimpia during their CONCACAF Champions League soccer match in Heredia, March 5, 2015.

The first matchday round of the 2015-2016 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League is set to conclude with two matches on August 6 and one of them will be a showdown between Costa Rican squad Club Sport Herediano and Salvadoran team AD Isidro Metapán to be held at the Estadio Eladio Rosabal Cordero in Heredia, Costa Rica.

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El Team, the defending 2015 Primera División de Costa Rica Apertura champions, had suffered major player losses just days after their most recent match against fellow Costa Rican FPD club AD Carmelita last Sunday.

Herediano won that meeting, 2-0, as per SofaScore, but Odir Jacques's men are at least without four of their former main players going into the game versus Isidro Metapán on Thursday.

Two of their primary defenders were recently transferred, with Francisco Calvo going to rival club Saprissa while Pablo Salazar moved to Venados FC of the Ascencio MX league. The most notable losses, however, are the exit of their two leading strikers Antonio Pedroza and Yendrick Ruiz. Pedroza also transferred to Mexico's Liga MX with Cruz Azul while Ruiz was on loan to Indian Super League club Pune City for the rest of the season.

Meanwhile, Los Jaguares are currently struggling in El Salvador's La Liga Mayor with two losses and a draw in their last three games in the PRD. Their most recent match was a 1-1 standoff against fellow Salvadoran squad CD Chalatenango, as reported by Soccerway.

Team manager Jorge Humberto Rodríguez must find a way to start winning again if they want to have a chance of advancing to the knockout stages of this season's Champions League edition.

Prediction: It would be close, but Los Caleros will escape with a tough 2-1 win over Los Rojiamarillos. Herediano may have convincingly won, 4-0 and 4-2, their previous two head-to-head meetings last year, via Goal, but the recent departures of their two starting strikers and defenders will be hard to cope with this soon. Rodríguez's wards are looking forward to a payback this time around.

Herediano starting lineup (4-4-2 formation): Cambronero; Nelson, Brown, Montero, Myrie; Alvarado, Ramírez, Granados, Scott; Lagos, Arias

Isidro Metapán starting lineup (4-4-2 formation): Hernández; Molina, Álvarez, Sánchez, Barrios; Ramos, Gonzalez, Miron, Suarez; Parkes, Cisneros

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