By Dylan Butler

With all but mathematical hopes of playing in the Mexican Apertura Liguilla gone, Pumas still has the CONCACAF Champions League to play for.

Having lost all but the slimmest of chances in domestic play in a 1-1 draw with Chivas de Guadelajara on Sunday, Pumas is a draw away from Champions League quarterfinals - a point that could come at home against W Connection Wednesday night.

Last in the Apertura's Group 3, Pumas is atop CONCACAF Champions League Group D, four points clear of second place Comunicaciones with two games left to play.

On Sunday, Pumas jumped in front much to the delight of the crowd at Estadio Olimpico Universitario when Jahu Chiapas capitalized on a Chivas defensive mistake to put the hosts in front on six minutes.

But Javier Hernandez Balcazar leveled in the 63rd minute for Chivas, which ended the game with 10 men when Xavier Baez was carded twice in two minutes.

W Connection already has been eliminated from the First Citizens Cup in Trinidad, but sits just two points behind Comunicaciones in the Champions League after a stunning 3-0 win in Guatemala on Thursday. Jonathan Frias scored all three goals in the second half for the Savonetta Boys, which snapped a four-game winless streak.

Comunicaciones bounced back well from the embarrassing home loss by thrashing Juventud Retalteca 6-2 on Saturday at Estadio Cementos Progreso. Isido Candia and Edwin Enriquez struck in the opening half and Transito Montepeque scored twice after halftime, as did Fredy Thompson and Manuel Soto for Comunicaciones, which actually fell behind in the seventh minute on a Jairo Perez goal.

Los Cremas face a situation where they could clinch a quarterfinal berth when they take on Real Espana Wednesday in San Pedro Sula. The club sits two points ahead of W Connection and three in front of Comunicaciones. Should Pumas beat W Connection, and Comunicaciones defeats Real Espana, the Guatemalan side would be through.

Otherwise, it will go down to the last group games in October when Comunicaciones faces Pumas at home.

Real Espana lost 4-0 to Pumas last week and didn't play domestically this past weekend because the Primera Division of Honduras suspended league play amid political unrest surrounding the return of deposed President Manuel Zelaya to the country.

Real Espana has three points from its opening four matches and will need to win its final two matches to have a chance of advancing.

"We (will) exhaust the possibilities to qualify," Real Espana coach Ramon Maradiaga said. "I will try to earn a [win against] Comunicaciones."