Real Salt Lake (2-1-0, 6 points, 2nd place, Group 2) needs EITHER a two-goal victory OR a 1-0 shutout win on Tuesday, Oct. 23 at Rio Tinto Stadium (kickoff: 8:00 p.m. MT) against Costa Rican champions C.S. Herediano (3-0-0, 9 points, 1st place, Group 2) in order to win the group and secure passage to the Quarterfinal Stage of the 2012/13 CONCACAF Champions League next March.
Earlier on Tuesday night, Herediano won 2-1 at home over Panamanian champions Tauro FC to set up the current Group 2 scenario. Under the new format of the tournament, only the eight group winners advance, after playing four group stage games in a home-and-away format against two other opponents. Below are the 2012/13 CCL Group tiebreakers, with interpretations in red specific to RSL/Herediano going into the October 23 game.
2012/13 CCL Tiebreakers
If two or more teams are tied on points, the order of the teams will be determined by:
(assumes an RSL victory over Herediano on Oct. 23, placing both sides on 9 points in group play):
1. Most Points in the Group Stage matches between RSL v HER.
(HEAD-to-HEAD: both RSL and Herediano with 3 points each)
2. Superior Goal Difference from the Group Stage matches played between RSL & HER.
(RSL / HER GOAL +/-: for RSL to win Group on THIS tiebreaker & advance to Quarterfinals, MUST win on 10/23 by TWO or more goals)
3. Most Goals scored in matches between RSL & HER.
(AGGREGATE SCORING: RSL wins on 10/23 by ONE goal, RSL & HER tied on aggregate)
4. Most away goals in matches between the tied teams.
(ROAD AGGREGATE: RSL must keep a shutout on 10/23; should RSL win by ONE goal with HER scoring at all, the Costa Rican team WINS group based on this tiebreaker)
5. If after having applied the criteria 1-4, two teams still have an equal ranking, the criteria 1-4 are reapplied exclusively to the matches between the two teams in question to determine their final ranking. If this procedure does not lead to a final determination, the criteria 6-8 will be applied;
6. Superior goal difference in all Group Stage matches
(OVERALL GOAL DIFFERENCE: RSL is +2 through 3 games played, HER is +3 through 3 games played; a 1-0 RSL win on Oct. 23 allows RSL to advance on this tiebreaker)
RSL wins group with 1-0 win on Oct. 23 ... RSL goal difference improves to +3 (0-1, 2-0, 1-0, 1-0) and Herediano falls to +2 (1-0, 1-0, 2-1, 0-1). RSL advances
7. Most number of goals scored in all Group Matches
N/A
8. Higher number of away goals in all Group matches
N/A
9. Drawing of lots
N/A
