The CONCACAF Champions League, although just in its 6th edition in its current form, has been around for 49 years as the premier soccer club competition in the region grouping North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The winner of the tournament qualifies for the FIFA Club World Cup.
With the Canadian title secured last Wednesday in Vancouver, the Montreal Impact is the only Canuck representative in the tournament, but one of five MLS delegates in the 24 team tournament.
From the two dozen teams that have qualified, a random selection process, to be held on Monday at 8pm in Miami, based on a three tier pot category, will determine eight groups of three teams. The allocation of teams into pots are based on their national association and qualifying berth. Teams from the same association cannot be drawn with each other in the Group Stage, and each group is guaranteed to contain a team from either the United States or Mexico, meaning U.S. and Mexican teams cannot play each other in the Group Stage. Each group is played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The winners of each group advance to the Championship Round.
VISIT the CONCACAF Champions League website
As the Impact qualified in Pot B, they will not be facing the Houston Dynamo and Sporting Kansas City of MLS, Toluca or Cruz Azul (Mexico’s Liga MX), Alajuelense (Costa Rica), Victoria (Nicaragua) and Isidro Metapán (El Salvador).
However, the Canadian side will have to travel to play tough competition against one of Mexican Champions (Tijuana, America) or one of MLS Champions (San Jose Earthquakes/Supporters Shield, LA Galaxy/MLS Cup).
The Impact will also face one team from Pot C: Sporting San Miguelito, Real Esteli, Belmopan Bandits, W Connection, Valencia or Caledonia AIA, to name a few teams.
Whoever the competition might be, the CONCACAF Champions League is just another challenge the Impact will have to face in a season where the team has, so far, risen to the occasion.
