If Atlanta United wanted any bulletin board material ahead of their Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals series against Liga MX side Club America, Miguel Herrera has provided it.
The America manager did not try and downplay his side's stature in the continental landscape speaking with reporters at a Tuesday press conference, saying that the Five Stripes will have to take down one of the top dogs if they want to advance.
"They are facing the most powerful club in the Americas," Herrera said. "We are the best team. We compete with Boca [Juniors] and River [Plate] to be the greatest on the continent."
Herrera's assessment isn't necessarily unfounded. Club America have won more Liga MX titles than any other club and have a record seven CCL titles to their name since 1977, most recently taking home back-to-back crowns in the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 iterations of the tournament. Still, if Frank de Boer is the type of coach to use things of this nature to give his players a little extra motivation, now he knows where to find it.
Herrera also announced the lineup he'll be fielding for the first leg of the quarterfinals at Estadio Azteca on Wednesday, revealing three changes from the club's starting XI in the second leg of their last CCL series against Guatemalan side Comunicaciones FC.
Herrera will be starting Luis Fuentes at left back for Paul Aguilar, Andres Ibarguen will slot in on the left wing for Sebastian Cordova and Henry Martin will slot in up top for Federico Vinas. Former LA Galaxy man Gio dos Santos will also be starting at the No. 10 spot. Veteran goalkeeper Memo Ochoa did not appear in Herrera's lineup, making way for Oscar Jimenez.
