In 2022 the Seattle Sounders made history when they became the first MLS club to win Concacaf’s premier club completion, at the time called Concacaf Champions League and since rebranded as Champions Cup (I will use the two interchangeably because I am a hack). In the two editions since, MLS clubs have made runs to both finals and in both cases faced humiliating defeats to Liga MX clubs. In 2023, the last year with a two-legged final, LAFC lost both legs, ultimately looking uncompetitive across the 180 minutes of a 3-1 aggregate defeat to Club Léon. Last season the Columbus Crew were blown out 3-0 in Pachuca after the team allegedly contracted widespread food poisoning among the players and staff.
This year marks Seattle’s return to the competition for the first time since they won it. The embarrassing showings by other MLS clubs since then leaves the Sounders with an unprecedented opportunity: to win a second continental trophy before anyone else gets their first. In order to do that, the Sounders will need to make their way through perhaps the toughest draw of anyone in the competition. Seattle, however, has added real quality in the attack to complement their exceptional defense and looks to be well set up for slaying giants.
Round 1: Antigua
Seattle will open the cup, and their season, with a flight down to Guatemala to play Antigua GFC. The first round of the CCC may also be the only one where Seattle is the favorite. Antigua is currently in second place in the Guatemalan league, but has only made it to Concacaf play once before, and has never recorded a win. That one appearance, in the 2016-17 group stage, saw the Guatemalan club lose to the New York Red Bulls and Alianza of El Salvador. Just because Antigua doesn’t have a pedigree in Concacaf doesn’t mean that head coach Brian Schmetzer or the players can overlook this first tie. Long-time Concacaf sickos will know that looking past perceived inferior opposition is a recipe for disaster. In 2023, Austin FC was on the wrong end of one of the biggest upsets in sporting history when they lost to Haitian side Violette AC in the first round. Violette had not played a competitive match in nearly a year due to unrest in their home of Port-Au-Prince, they had to navigate violence in the streets to get to their practices, and they had to play their “home leg” in another country. Despite this, they dominated a heavily rotated Austin line-up 3-0 in the Dominican Republic, a deficit that the first-choice Austin squad was unable to overcome back in Texas.
How to win:
1) First and foremost respect the opponent. Don’t send a Tacoma Defiance-level squad.
2) Know the danger. Antigua has four players with at least five goals, despite being just eight games into the season, including two midfielders. Don’t get complacent and lose track of anyone, because they have multiple scoring threats.
3) Avoid the quicksand. CCC games, especially in early rounds against smaller leagues, can be decided by who loses their head. Winning on the road is good, but not falling into the traps of time-wasting or silly cards is more important. In Concacaf you try not to lose road games, but most matchups are decided at home.
4) Blow them out at Lumen. Assuming the Sounders did steps 1-3 on the road, then it’s time to be the favorite they are. Score early, then run up the score. Home-field advantage in the final is now decided by who had the best record in the rest of the tournament.
Round 2: Cruz Azul
One of Liga MX’s strongest teams over the past few tournaments, Cruz Azul finished second in last year’s Clausura. They are already locked into the next round, having eviscerated Real Hope 7-0 in the first tie. Cruz Azul has been one of the biggest spenders on the continent over the last few years. Sounders fans will likely recognize, and perhaps have some PTSD associated with, several of Cruz Azul’s recent acquisitions. Former MLS players, and occasional Seattle heels, are sprinkled throughout their squad. Up top, it’s former Atlanta United striker Georgios Giakoumakis. In attacking midfield, LAFC's Mateusz Bogusz plays as a dual 10 in Cruz Azul’s 3421, and to his left, at wingback, is his former LAFC teammate Omar Campos. All in all, Cruz Azul has spent more than double in transfer fees over the last two years that Seattle has spent in their entire existence, and a lot of it knows how to score against the Sounders.
How to win:
1) Exploit the cracks. Cruz Azul lost their head coach, Martín Anselmi, who led them to a first-place finish in the most recent Apatura season. Since then, they are seventh in the Clausura table and have given up 11 goals in seven games.
2) Sit and hit on the break. Seattle has had the best defense in MLS two years running, and appear to have assembled a lethal counter-attacking team. Jesús Ferreira, Paul Arriola, and a healthy Pedro de la Vega provide speed and support to complement Jordan Morris’ pace that was simply lacking the last year and a half.
3) Score at least one on the road. Befitting the immense difficulty of CCC road games, away goals are still the first tiebreaker in Concacaf. Meaning teams that score on the road have a good chance to advance with a tie on aggregate. Seattle can’t count on a home shutout and will be helped immensely if they don’t need to.
4) Survive and advance. Seattle are the underdogs here, make no mistake. Underdogs in Concacaf must know the script and remember their lines. Poorhouse, time waste, wind guys up and get under their skin. Generally, be the quicksand you'll have to avoid in Guatemala.
Round 3: Play the classics
The match-up in the 3rd round, if the Sounders manage to get past Cruz Azul, will be the winner of a continental Súper Clásico, the great rivalry match between Chivas and Club América. Sounders fans should be watching this tie closely, and rooting for Guadalajara. The current Club América team has been generationally good, having won an unprecedented three titles in a row. Guadalajara, on the other hand, has been languishing in the mid-table for several years now: far below their historical pedigree. They should offer a relatively equal match-up. As we all know, form goes out the window in a rivalry match, and if Chivas manages to knock out América, then the winner may be the Sounders.
Round 4: Get over the line
If the Sounders make it this far, they will have survived the most grueling run of any team on either side of the bracket, and there will most assuredly be a more detailed follow-up article once we have a better idea of who else is left standing. To give a brief overview of some other potential storylines: LA Galaxy, Tigres, and FC Cincinnati are the three teams that would be most likely to make it to the semi-final from the same side of the bracket as Seattle. Over on the other side of the bracket, Miami and LAFC have received draws as relatively soft as the Sounders’ is hard. Neither can face a Liga MX club until the semifinals, with Miami in particular being set up to cakewalk their way there. First, they face Sporting Kansas City who qualified on a technicality as the losers of the U.S. Open Cup after the winner, LAFC, qualified via other means. Then Miami will face Jamaican side Cavalier before playing one of the Columbus Crew, Colorado Rapids, or LAFC. The winner of that game only has to worry about potentially two LigaMX sides out of the seven other teams capable of making a semi-final. Those are Monterrey and Pumas UNAM. They may face zero Liga MX opposition on their way to the final.
Long story short, smart money would be on LAFC or Miami to make the final. Seattle, if they battle through the slog of their first few rounds, would have a chance to play in the first-ever all-MLS Concacaf final in a bid to retain their title as the only MLS team to win it all.
