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Concacaf Champions Cup (also known as the artist formerly known as Concacaf Champions League) is back in earnest tonight. Vancouver have already been eliminated thanks to Tigres, but nine (9!!!) MLS teams remain thanks to the revamped format. That includes Inter Miami and Columbus, who both got a free pass to the Round of 16 after winning trophies last year.
That means seven MLS teams will compete in Round One over the next three days. We figured we would check in on them before their season officially begins and see how their CCC fate is shaking out.
Philadelphia Union
We’ll start with the Union. Mostly because all we need to tell you is that they’re essentially the exact same team as last year’s group that reached the CCL semifinals. There have been zero notable changes. That kind of continuity and experience should set them up to be off and running from day one in this competition. If they can take care of business against Saprissa and then beat a Pachuca side with a solid record so far in the Apertura, they should have a clear path back to the semifinals. Unfortunately, that’s where either Chivas or Club América will be waiting for them. Still, avoiding the big boys of Liga MX until the semifinals is a pretty sweet deal.
New England Revolution
It’s not quite at the Union’s level, but the Revs also carry a decent bit of continuity into CCC. There are two big concerns, though. First, you have to wonder if the attack will be up to speed from the jump. Second, you have to wonder if new keeper Henrich Ravas is up to put in a Matt Turner or Djordje Petrovic-esque performance. Those could be big asks.
Their path to a deep run isn’t a gauntlet, though. They would avoid Liga MX and MLS teams until the quarterfinals if they keep winning. However, that’s when they’d need to win three straight against a Liga MX giant, a top-tier Liga MX or MLS side (maybe Philadelphia?) and whoever makes the final from the other side of the bracket. That’s a hard road to walk for a team trying to regroup quickly after a difficult end to 2024.
St. Louis CITY SC
St. Louis get Houston to start the competition, have Columbus waiting for them in the next round and then get either Orlando or Tigres. Oof. But, hey, they also have a bunch of continuity, they’ve added two starting-caliber fullbacks and we all know that MLS teams don’t handle a high press all that well at the start of the season. You never know, right?
Houston Dynamo FC
Houston have that same path. To make matters worse, Héctor Herrera is injured and will reportedly miss an unknown amount of time to start the season. There’s a good argument that no one played a bigger role in their team’s success last season. Herrera took over 14% of his team’s touches in 2023, the highest mark in the league. It feels like Houston might need some time to ease into the year before they think about a CCC run. Then again, they have a tendency to surprise people lately.
Orlando City SC
Great news: Orlando have an excellent starting XI and should be able to breeze past Canadian Premier League side Cavalry FC in Round One. Bad news: Tigres are sitting there waiting for them in the Round of 16. If they win that, they’ll likely face the Crew. If they win that, they’ll face whoever comes out of the FC Cincinnati, CF Monterrey, Inter Miami triangle of death. Good soccer team. Bad draw.
FC Cincinnati
Speaking of Cincy, they drew Jamaican side Cavalier in the Round of 32. They’ll be heavily favored. If they get by, it will set up a fascinating reunion for Cincy and former striker Brandon Vazquez, as the Garys take on Monterrey. That’s an incredibly difficult draw this early in the year, but last year’s Shield winners feel like one of the few teams in the region with enough juice to take down a Liga MX giant. They’re good enough to win the whole thing. Even with a few changes to last year’s starting XI.
Nashville SC
Defending and Hany Mukhtar can take you a long way in knockout competition. Nashville didn’t stumble into the Leagues Cup final on accident last year. They definitely have a gauntlet in front of them, though. If they get past Moca in the Round of 32, Inter Miami are on the other side. It’s the region’s best from the Round-of-32 on. They’ll need a little extra to get by.
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