The 2020 Concacaf Champions league draw was made complete and four Liga MX teams will make their presence felt in the tournament.
The Concacaf Champions League has become one of the top competitive tournaments in North America. The draw for the 2020 tournament took place Monday night t the Claustro Sor Juana University in Mexico City, and now the stage is set for the Round of 16 to kick off in February.
America and Tigres were the top Liga MX teams in the draw, qualifying as the champions of the Apertura 2018 and the Clausura 2019, respectively. Cruz Azul and Leon, the runners-up in those respective tournaments were also in the draw. Monterrey – the reigning champ – did not qualify for next year’s tournament.
There are 16 teams from across the continent distributed thusly: 4 from Mexico, 4 from the United States, 2 from Costa Rica and 1 each from Canada, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Jamaica. Each round of the tournament features a home-and-home series and based on aggregate score.
The Aguilas of America discovered they will open against Comunicaciones of Guatemala. As for the Tigres, they will face Alianza FC, a team from El Salvador with a lot of history. They could provide a tense match-up for coach Ricardo Ferretti but his Tigres will be heavily favored to advance. Cruz Azul drew Jamaica’s Portmore United.
More from Viva Liga MX
- Guillermo Ochoa is out 4-6 weeks
- The Clásico Regiomontano is Heating Up
- Pumas: In Search of Regaining a Top Spot
- Why the United States Is Set to Overtake Mexico on the World Stage
- Erick Gutierrez is out once again
Arguably, the most exciting news of the draw is that Mexican star Carlos Vela – the MLS MVP – will make his return to Mexico as his Los Angeles FC was drawn to face Leon. This could be a dramatic, high-scoring series as both teams love to attack.
The other four Round of 16 match-ups are as follows:
Atlanta United vs. Motagua (Nicaragua)
New York City FC vs. AD San Carlos (Costa Rica)
Seattle Sounders vs. CD Olimpia (Honduras)
Montreal Impact vs. Saprissa (Costa Rica)