Recently named 2021 T&T Football Federation “Senior Player of the Year” Aubrey David and his Costa Rican club, Deportivo Saprissa will kick off their 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League (SCCL) round-of-16 campaign on February 16.
The Guyana-born David and record 36-times Costa Rican domestic champions Deportivo Saprissa, beaten in their Premier “Grand Final” last month by Herediano 4-2 on aggregate will come up against seven-time Mexican champions Pumas UNAM at home in the first-leg before at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Ayma from 11 pm (TT time).
They will then travel to the Estadio Olimpico de Universitario in Mexico City on Wednesday, February 23 for the return match, also from 11 pm (TT time).
Both Saprissa and Pumas will be hoping to rekindle their past glory days in the confederation's top club competition as they are both former three-time winners.
The Costa Ricans lifted the title in 1993, 1995, and 2005 while also ending as runners-up in 2004 and 2008 while Pumas' triumphs came in 1980, 1982, and 1989 along with a runners-up finish in 2005.
Ahead of the start of the tournament Deportivo Saprissa have been busy during the winter period and have added four new faces as part of their squad in 2022 in forwards Francisco Rodriguez, Andy Reyes, and Darixon Vuelto, and defender Ryan Bolanos.
Rodriguez has had previous stops at fellow Costa Rican clubs Alajuelense and Herediano, among others, and has also appeared for the Costa Rican national team.
Reyes joins from Costa Rican outfit Cartagines and has experience in European football with Austrian clubs FC Juniors OO and Austria Lustenau, while left-back Bolanos also arrives from Cartagines and has 13 career goals in the top flight of Costa Rican football.
The 23-year-old Vuelto will bring plenty of goal-scoring pedigree to the Costa Rican giants. Vuelto scored five goals for Real Espana of Honduras last year and is a Honduras international, having debuted in 2019 against Martinique in the 2019-20 Concacaf Nations League.
Vuelto also appeared in one match with Honduran club Victoria in the 2013-14 SCCL, scoring a goal in his Concacaf debut.
A very busy first half of 2022 also awaits Pumas with the Mexico City club competing in both the 2022 Liga MX Clausura and the 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League.
Pumas begin their domestic campaign this Sunday against Toluca, and many of the players who helped Pumas reach the semifinals of the 2021 Liga MX Apertura are back in the fold for 2022 and if the club's preseason performances are any indication, there is reason for a lot of optimism on both fronts.
Pumas played two friendlies over the winter break, the first on December 27 when they squared off with reserve side Pumas Tabasco.
It proved to be a successful outing for head coach Andres Lillini, who saw his men earn a 3-0 victory thanks to goals from Jose Rogerio, Alek Alvarez and Juan Gonzalez.
Four days later on December 31, Pumas played their final preseason match against fellow Liga MX side Cruz Azul. A defensive battle was ultimately decided by Pumas FW Juan Ignacio Dinenno scoring the winning goal in a 1-0 final.
The results of the winter break and the confidence coming from a deep run in the 2021 Apertura Liguilla should provide a big boost for a Pumas side looking to make history and reach an SCCL Final for the first time in club history.
The seven other match-ups between the remaining 14 participating clubs will also take place in February with first-leg matches carded for 15-17 and second legs, 22-24.