We are just a week away from the start of the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League. The CCL is a polarizing tournament, with some American, Canadian, and Mexican fans writing off the continental prize as secondary to the MLS or Liga MX titles, respectively. Other fans, like yours truly, absolutely adore the CCL and think it provides night after night of intense, rivalry atmosphere soccer. As a Tigres fan, it’s the prize I’d like to win the most, and a trip to the Club World Cup would be amazing.
Perhaps you support one of the sixteen teams in this year’s tournament. Perhaps you’re invested in the ongoing league war between MLS and Liga MX. Perhaps you’re a CONCACAF nut who enjoys watching matches between teams that absolutely hate each other. Or perhaps you’re just a curious soccer fan who wants to check out a new tournament you’ve never seen before. Regardless of who you are, I’ve prepared a definitive guide to everything you need to know about all sixteen teams. Let’s get started.
The Rules
Before we look at the teams, it’s important to know the ground rules for the competition. The bracket is fixed, meaning there are no draws after each round as you see in some other tournaments around the world. Tied series will be decided by away goals, then extra time, then penalties. In the finals only, there are no away goals. The Round of 16 will be played in late February, the quarterfinals in early March, the semifinals in early April, and the finals in late April.
The Teams
Alianza FC, El Salvador
Odds to win title: +6600
Previous Best: 1967 (Champions)
Alianza have been one of two superpowers in Salvadorian football over the past few years, along with Santa Tecla, who represented El Salvador in last year’s tournament. Though they’ll be big underdogs, there is precedent for Alianza success. Santa Tecla won their home leg against Seattle Sounders last year despite being eliminated in the first round, and two years ago under the old format Alianza themselves drew the New York Red Bulls at home and lost on a 90th minute goal on the road.
So perhaps its fair to say that Alianza will be outmatched, but not overmatched, in their first round series against Monterrey. With the loss of star striker Rodolfo Zelaya to LAFC, much of the goalscoring load will fall on Bladimir Díaz, who scored 7 times in 11 matches during the Apertura, and has 4 goals through 5 games in the Clausura. Veteran Herbert Sosa has been with the club since 2008 and has been in the trenches of CONCACAF soccer plenty of times in the past.
It’s not impossible for them to make a run, but Monterrey is a tough draw to say the least. They can find a silver lining in the fact that just two years ago Monterrey lost home and away to Arabe Unido of Panama, but I’d be surprised if Rayados let something like that happen again.
Monterrey, Mexico
Odds to win title: +400
Previous Best: Champions (2011, 2012, 2013)
Monterrey come into the tournament as one of the favorites to win it all, and for good reason. They’ve got a packed squad, a history of success, and are currently in first place in Liga MX.
The already strong team led by Rogelio Funes Mori, Avilés Hurtado, Rodolfo Pizarro, and the surging Nicolás Sánchez got even better when they added Mexico international Miguel Layún to the mix. With 17 goals in six games so far this year, it’s clear that those names are living up to expectations. Monterrey may be overflowing with attacking talent, but to be clear they aren’t lacking in other areas; they’re simply great instead of outstanding.
The expectations for this team has to be to win it all. They should have a fairly easy time against Alianza in the first round, which likely sets up a juicy clash with Atlanta in the quarterfinals.
Herediano, Costa Rica
Odds to win title: +5000
Previous Best: Semi-finals (2014/15)
Herediano are one of two Costa Rican teams in the field this year, and once again they’ve been given a difficult road. Having qualified for the CCL via the 2nd tier CONCACAF League last fall, the club is riding a wave on continental success that they haven’t had in a few years.
But don’t be fooled by their “poor” performances in recent Champions Leagues; Herediano have been the victims of the draw too many times. In the past three editions of the tournament, they’ve faced Liga MX powerhouse Tigres in the first round. Four tournaments ago, the last time they didn’t face Tigres, they made the semi-finals.
Atlanta are perhaps no Tigres, but it’s still one of the tougher draws for the Costa Ricans, who will be itching to once again make progress on the CCL stage. Herediano won the Costa Rican Apertura after just barely sneaking into the playoffs, and are currently just 2W-2D-3L in the Clausura.
Atlanta United FC, United States
Odds to win title: +350
Previous Best: N/A
Atlanta are certainly the most intriguing team in the tournament. They are the successors to Toronto a year ago; the proverbial MLS team that will finally be the one to break through and bring a CCL title to somewhere other than Mexico.
They performed amazingly well in the MLS playoffs, but Miguel Almirón is gone, and nobody is quite sure how Atlanta will approach the CCL yet. They really do have the talent to compete with anyone, though they’re not as good as Tigres or Monterrey, but at the same time if they think they can get past Herediano while sleepwalking they could be bounced in the first round.
With no CONCACAF experience yet in franchise history, we don’t know how they’ll perform away from home in Central America and Mexico. We’ve seen some MLS clubs have a lingering culture of losing easy games south of the border, and the jury is still out on if Atlanta will be properly prepared for all the difficulties of a trip to Heredia or beyond. That first match will be a huge indication of what Atlanta is capable of long term.
Independiente FC, Panama
Odds to win title: +10000
Previous Best: N/A
Teams from Panama have fared well in the past two CCLs. Two years ago, as mentioned previously, Arabe Unido beat Monterrey twice in one of the most impressive performances from a Central American team in CCL history. And last season, Tauro defeated FC Dallas in the first round but fell to América in the quarterfinals.
It’s a tall order for Independiente to continue the trend of Panamanian success, and they probably aren’t as good as their predecessors. They came in 9th (out of 10) in the Apertura last fall, though they’re off to a much better start in their spring campaign.
As is often the case in series with a heavy favorite, the Independiente game plan will no doubt be to preserve a shutout at home in the first leg, and then search for an away goal or 0-0 draw in Toronto if they can. If you’re a real CONCACAF fan who loves to see ugly, grind it out soccer, Independiente is your team.
Jose Fajardo led the team in the Apertura with 4 goals in 18 games last season, which does not bode particularly well. If they want to get past Toronto they’ll need somebody to step up and score one or two brilliant individual goals, and I’m not sure they have anyone ready to do that right now.
Toronto FC, Canada
Odds to win title: +1400
Previous Best: Runners up (2018)
Toronto are the returning silver medalists in the tournament, and to be honest it’s hard to imagine them improving upon that this season. Only a year removed from that run that saw the Reds knock off both Tigres and América, and two years from the 2017 “best season in MLS history,” Toronto are not the team they once were.
After a 9th place finish in the Eastern Conference last year (19th overall), there’s not much confidence that they can hang with Mexico’s best the way they did last year. But they do have experience, and unlike Atlanta, Toronto have proved they know how to approach and prepare for the CCL better than most MLS teams. They’ve battled on the road before and won games in Mexico. You can at the very least count on Toronto to bring it throughout their 2019 run, however long it ends up being.
Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley, and Jonathan Osorio are still present from last year’s run, but club legend Giovinco has moved on to Saudi Arabia. Without the man that has been the best player on the field for Toronto since his arrival in 2015, it’s tough to see the Reds being anywhere near as scary as they were a year ago, and I think away results will not come the same way they did in 2018.
Sporting Kansas City, USA
Odds to win title: +1600
Previous Best: Semi-finals (2002)
Sporting KC frequent the CCL more than most MLS teams thanks to their continuing success in the US Open Cup, but aside from the semifinal run in 2002 they’ve had very little success. Most recently, they failed to advance past the group stage in 2016/17 and 2014/15.
Since their 2013 MLS title, the club has struggled in big games, losing five out of their last six playoff series, including an embarrassing home defeat to Portland to end their 2018 season. But there’s no time for Sporting to dwell on past failures. With Toluca awaiting them in the opening round, they have the hardest first round draw of any MLS team. If they start 2019 the same way they ended 2018, things will get ugly for Kansas City very fast.
Dániel Sallói and Johnny Russell are the two big scoring threats up front, Graham Zusi had a fantastic 2018, and Ilie remains a strong anchor to the midfield. Keep an eye on Gerso as well, who performed spectacularly at times last season. Roger Espinosa had a career high nine assists last year, adding another threat to the Sporting attack. This team is good enough to hang around with anyone, but there’s a difference between “hanging around” and winning.
Toluca, Mexico
Odds to win title: +1800
Previous Best: Champions (1968, 2003)
First of all, I have no idea how Toluca have been given lower odds to win the title than Sporting KC. The two square off in the opening round, and it’s certainly not a controversial opinion that Toluca will advance.
Los Diablos haven’t been on the continental stage in a while, but in the Hernán Cristante era (since 2016) they’ve been looking more like the turn of the millennium Toluca team that were running the show in Mexican football. As the only Liga MX team that has to play an MLS side in the first round, it’s fair to say the draw was not kind to them, and Toluca’s route to the final has no easy series in it, but it’s not all bad.
As has been discussed time and time again, MLS teams are in the preseason during the first round of the tournament, while Toluca will be in midseason form, giving them another advantage over Kansas City. Los Diablos have had a rough start to 2019, starting the season off with two victories over weak teams before a skid of just one point from their last four matches. They have a chance to regain some momentum against León the weekend before the first leg of the SKC series.
CD Guastatoya, Guatemala
Odds to win title: +5000
Previous Best: N/A
Guastatoya are the new kids on the block in Guatemala, having won the past two league titles for the first two top division trophies in club history. Guatemalan teams have been out of CONCACAF competitions for a little while altogether, due to the federation’s ban since late 2016. Now it is up to Guastatoya to show the world how Guatemalan soccer has progressed during the two years of darkness.
After completely dominating the Apertura, the club are now dead last in the Clausura with no wins and just three draws after six games. Luis Martinez, who had his breakout season last season with 11 goals, has just one so far in 2019, and hasn’t found the net in over a month heading into the CCL.
Houston Dynamo, United States
Odds to win title: +2500
Previous Best: Semi-finals (2007, 2008)
If you take the 5 MLS and 4 Liga MX teams as the “Pot A” of the CCL, Houston are definitely at the bottom of the group. After a mediocre 9th place finish in the Western Conference last year, nobody is expecting a fantastic run from this team.
The young dynamic duo of Mauro Manotas (19 goals) and Tomás Martínez (5 goals, 13 assists) can provide a spark against Guastatoya, but in the rounds beyond that things will be much tougher. Houston have added Maynor Figueroa, the veteran Honduran defender, who will provide them with that critical experience in addition to strengthening the back line.
And I harp on the idea of experience a lot, but I don’t think it can be overstated how much of CONCACAF soccer is won and lost mentally, in the days and hours leading up to the game, rather than on the field. Figueroa should help a team that hasn’t been in a continental tournament in over five years properly prepare for those tricky away games.
Deportivo Saprissa, Costa Rica
Odds to win title: +4000
Previous Best: Champions (1993, 1995, 2005)
Saprissa are the most recent non-Mexican champions of CONCACAF, and have traditionally been considered the best team outside of Liga MX and MLS for as long as I can remember. They’ve knocked out plenty of big clubs in the past, including Portland just two years ago, though in 2018 they were comfortably handled by América in the first round.
As a Tigres fan I will say this: I am absolutely terrified of Saprissa and think they were the worst possible draw for Los Felinos. Everyone knows what they’re capable of and opening the tournament in San José is brutal. They’re loaded with Costa Rican talent many fans will be familiar with: Johan Venegas (FW), Christian Bolaños (FW), and Michael Barrantes (CM) all have over 50 caps, and lesser known players like Daniel Colindres (FW) (who played in the 2018 World Cup) and Marvin Angulo (AM) (who has been great in previous CCLs) round out a team with a lot of potential.
The big downside for Saprissa is that much like last year, they’re up against debatably the strongest team in the tournament straight away, and we might not get to see much of them as a result.
Tigres UANL, Mexico
Odds to win title: +300
Previous Best: Runners-up (2016, 2017)
As established, I am a Tigres supporter, so take this with a grain of salt, but on paper Tigres are unbelievably good. If someone told you that a team in the CONCACAF Champions League was trotting players like Enner Valencia and Eduardo Vargas off the bench you might be inclined to think they would stomp everyone. It’s true, the team is loaded with big names, and they’re certainly one of the best, if not the best team in this tournament.
But, Eduardo Vargas is a streaky player. Guido Pizarro hasn’t been his old self since returning from Sevilla. Francisco Meza has not returned to pre-injury form. There are definitely some parts of the team that aren’t 100% perfect, and that’s why they’ve fallen short three years in a row, four if you count the 2015 Copa Libertadores run.
More positively, however, Tigres have gotten off to their best Clausura start in several years, and have just added Carlos Salcedo to bolster the defense. Over the past few seasons the pattern has been: Win the Apertura, then have a letdown during the spring season. They’ve finally entered the new year without any sort of championship hangover, and perhaps this will be the year they finally overcome that continental hurdle.
New York Red Bulls, United States
Odds to win title: +700
Previous Best: Semi-finals (2018)
The Red Bulls were actually the best regular season team in MLS last year despite falling to Atlanta in the playoffs. After an awful exit last year following 180 scoreless minutes against Chivas, New York is back for another attempt at the crown.
Draw wise, the Red Bulls have won the lottery. Atlético Pantoja, the Caribbean Champions, will try their best to compete but will most likely be brushed aside without any difficulty, giving New York both a free trip to the quarterfinals and some nice games to ease them into the tournament.
Though a lack of goals doomed them a year ago, on the other side of things the Red Bulls are one of the most defensively sound teams in the competition. They conceded a league low 33 goals last year, four less than 2nd best Seattle and 11 less than Atlanta. Of course, you don’t win the Supporters’ Shield without being well rounded, and Bradley Wright-Phillips is still around scoring goals by the dozen. This team composition is perfect for handling some superior Mexican squads, but the question is will they execute how they did when they dismantled Tijuana last year, or when Chivas stifled them?
Atlético Pantoja, Dominican Republic
Odds to win title: +12500
Previous Best: N/A
The winners of the Caribbean Club Championship, Pantoja are the 2nd straight Dominican club to claim the sole CFU bid. They’ll hope to do better than Cibao, who lost 7-0 on aggregate to Chivas in the first round last year.
There’s only so much to say about these guys. While all the Central American teams have at least a punchers chance (often more than that), Atlético are completely outclassed. A handful of Dominican national team players pepper the roster, but they don’t have enough talent to mingle with a team like New York. If you’re a believer in magical upsets, Pantoja may interest you. For the rest of you skeptics out there, move along.
CD Marathón, Honduras
Odds to win title: +10000
Previous Best: Quarterfinals (2009, 2010)
Marathón are the spoilers of CCL history. As the only Honduran representative in the tournament this year, they have shattered Honduran giants Olimpia’s record of qualifying for every tournament since the Champions League format was introduced in 2008/09.
Marathón aren’t just here to be part of a great soccer trivia question though. They’ve been away from the continental stage for almost a decade, but their last two appearances saw them progress past the group stages in impressive fashion. They’re top of the Honduran Liga right now, unbeaten after six games.
El Monstruo Verde has lost just one home game in their last three seasons, and they’ll certainly be looking to keep that run going when they host Santos Laguna next week. Keep your eye on Justin Arboleda, who is currently tied for first place in the Honduras Golden Boot race with 14 goals.
Santos Laguna, Mexico
Odds to win title: +500
Previous Best: Runners-up (2012, 2013)
Santos are here by virtue of winning the 2018 Clausura, which was an impressive season and even more impressive playoff run. Though the top scorer and soul of that championship team, Djaniny, left the club over the summer for Saudi Arabia, Santos remain serious threats to win the title.
A number of players stepped up to carry the load left by Djaniny’s absence, like Julio Furch, who had a career best 12 goals during the 2018 Apertura. Santos were still comfortably a playoff team last season and will likely be in the liguilla once again this spring.
In the CCL overall, Santos are a good sleeper pick to take the title. Though not as glamorous as Tigres, Monterrey, or Atlanta, they definitely have the quality to succeed. In addition to the aforementioned Furch, Brian Lozano and José Juan Vázquez have shined for Santos so far in 2019.
That does it for all 16 clubs. You’re now officially ready to watch this year’s CONCACAF Champions League, and hopefully have a good feel for each competing team.
