The Seattle Sounders are in the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions League for only the second time in club history. The Sounders will take on fellow Major League Soccer side New York City FC, with the first leg in Seattle on April 6 (7 p.m. PT | FS1, TUDN, 1090 KJR AM, El Rey 1360AM | TICKETS) and the return leg at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., on April 13 (6 p.m. PT).
Here is a breakdown of the competition, what’s at stake and why it matters:
WHAT IT IS:
The CCL is an annual continental club soccer competition. Concacaf, which stands for the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, is one of FIFA’s six governing bodies.
HOW IT WORKS:
There have been several versions of the tournament in the past, but the current iteration is a knockout round format consisting of 16 teams based upon domestic performance. There are nine teams from North America (four from the United States, four from Mexico and one from Canada), one team from the Caribbean and the final six from the Concacaf League, which is the region’s second division.
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WHY IT MATTERS:
The winner of the competition represents Concacaf at the FIFA Club World Club, which is a tournament of champions from across the world. The host nation’s domestic champion plus the winners of AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), Concacaf (North and Central America), CONMEBOL (South America), OFC (Oceania) and UEFA (Europe) vie to be named world champions. A win would pit the Sounders against some of the best, most storied clubs in the world like all-time Club World Cup leaders Real Madrid and reigning champions Chelsea.
QUEST TO BECOME MLS’ FIRST:
Since 2008’s updated format, Liga MX teams have won all 13 editions. No team from MLS has ever won, but four teams — 2011 Real Salt Lake, 2015 CF Montreal, 2018 Toronto FC and 2020 LAFC — have reached the final. MLS is guaranteed its fifth berth in 2022 when the Sounders and New York City FC square off.
LAGERWEY’S VISION:
When Sounders General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey joined the club in 2015, his priorities were clear. He wanted to win MLS Cups, create a sustainable and fully fledged Academy and become the first MLS team to win CCL. Since he’s taken over, the Sounders have won two league titles and are bearing the fruits of their Academy, but they have yet to capture the elusive regional trophy. Lagerwey was behind RSL’s 2011 run, and a CCL win in 2022 would further cement the indelible mark he’s left on the franchise.
MOST SUCCESSFUL CCL CLUBS:
The most successful club in the revamped version (beginning in 2008) is Liga MX’s Monterrey. The Mexican club has taken home five regional titles, including the most recent one. The most successful club in total is Mexico’s Club América, who have won seven.
