On July 27, Toronto FC will play the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League qualifying match at BMO Field versus Nicaraguan side Real Esteli F.C. TFC qualified for the continental competition for the second year in the row by winning the Voyageurs Cup as Canadian champions over Vancouver Whitecaps. For Reds fans, the day the draw was announced was probably the first time they had heard of Real Esteli. So tonight, with the help of Google, I will try to introduce myself and all our readers to TFC's Nicaraguan opponent.
Real Esteli F.C. are a Nicaraguan side, as stated above, located in Esteli, Nicaragua's third largest city, who play in the nation's top flight of football. The team is nicknamed El Tren del Norte, which according to Google translates as "North Train" but is better translated as "Train of the North" because they come from the northern part of the country. The club was founded in 1960 and plays at Estadio Independencia, in front of 4,800 fans.
Domestically, Real Esteli is one of the most successful clubs winning three national titles and achieving an outstanding record of finishing in the top 5 in every season since 1986. On top of their three national championships, they have won 10 Primera Division de Nicaragua in the nations odd league set up which is similar to other Central American nations like Mexico where they play two seasons a year. Real Esteli has also won the Copa de Nicaragua in 1991.
There matches with Toronto FC coming up later this month will mark the Nicaraguan side's second appearance in the CONCACAF Champions League following their initial appearance in 2008 when they only made it to the Preliminary Round. They have also made 5 appearances in Central America's club competition the Copa Interclubes UNCAF. Real Esteli's best performance was a trip to the Quarter Finals of the competition in 2005 having never made it past the First Round in two previous attempts and the two more that followed.
Toronto FC are easily the favorites against CONCACAF minnows Real Esteli despite their own lowly stature entering the competition. The Reds will have to take care of business at BMO Field and ensure a big lead before they make the difficult trip to Nicaragua. TFC will have to deal with a low standard of playing surface and a completely hostile club when they travel Esteli and Estadio Independencia. Winter will field a strong line up in the home leg to ensure a comfortable win so that he can keep key players out of the line up for the away trip and not risk injuries to players important to the remainder of Toronto's season.
As the day of the first leg approaches, we will provide more coverage ahead of the match as Canadian champions Toronto FC aim to qualify for the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League for the second straight season. Thanks to Google and predominately Wikipedia, I hope I gave you a good introduction to Real Esteli, a little known club from the smaller Central American nation of Nicaragua.
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