Can Houston, D.C. buck the trend vs. Mexican teams?

	The last time an MLS team faced a Mexican opponent in Champions Cup, Pumas thumped Brian Carroll (left) and DC 6-1 on aggregate. Tony Quinn/WireImage.com
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When it comes to matching up against Mexican clubs, MLS teams are like cattle being led to the slaughter.

As D.C. United and the Houston Dynamo prepare for their semifinal matchups in CONCACAF Champions Cup play this week, they may as well be walking into a different game.

If history is any indicator, Chivas de Guadalajara and Pachuca, respectively, will have their way with their unassuming American counterparts.

Houston coach Dominic Kinnear is well aware of the challenge, and knows his reigning MLS champions are in for a huge test against Pachuca.

"At this time of year, you really have to play close to a perfect game to come out ahead of these guys," he said.

MLS clubs have been woefully short of perfection against their Mexican foes. Since 2002 -- when Champions Cup went to its current home-and-away format -- MLS clubs have met Mexican sides a total of seven times in the tournament. In all but one of those series, the Mexican club came out ahead.

And if those teams were challenging, this year's opposition is off the chart. Consider: Pachuca won the Apertura '06 title. That season, however, the Mexican national team took precedence as the World Cup players were called into a pre-Germany camp in early April. Clubs such as Chivas, América and Cruz Azul were forced to finish the season without their top guns. Pachuca didn't forfeit any players to El Tri's effort and thus emerged from a weakened field.

Despite all that, Los Tuzos proved late last year that their title was no fluke. They reached the Clausura '06 semifinals before falling to Toluca. Internationally, Pachuca made history and captured the hearts of many Mexicans when it beat Colo-Colo in the '06 Copa Sudamericana final, becoming the first Mexican club to win a South American club tournament.

Meanwhile, Chivas won their record 11th Mexican league title when by upsetting Toluca in the final of the Clausura '06 for their first crown in nine years. That capped off a stunning year that included a run to the semis of not only the Apertura '06, but a second straight appearance in the semis of the Copa Libertadores.

This season, Los Tuzos are 1 and Chivas are 1A in the Mexican league. Both clubs have 18 points at the midway point of the Clausura '07 season and sit atop the overall league table. Pachuca has set the standard in Mexico over the last eight years while Chivas have done so over the last century.

Kinnear spoke highly of his opponents but said the playing field might not be level when debating the relative strength of the leagues.

"They're good teams," Kinnear said. "They can go out and buy players and we have to work within a salary cap so that's difficult. They can arm themselves pretty dangerously."