Or a R16 game! MLSSoccer is showing (and my Xfinity guide as well) that the return leg of Atlanta/Motagua will be on FS1.
Updated with TV info for the first week: 2020 CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16 Home team first, times are ET First Leg Tuesday, February 18 Portmore United (JAM) v. Cruz Azul (MEX) 8:00 pm FS2/TUDN FC Motagua (HON) v. Atlanta United (USA) 10:00 pm FS+/TUDNx Club Leon (MEX) v. Los Angeles FC (USA) 10:00 pm FS2/TUDN Wednesday, February 19 D. Saprissa (CRC) v. Montreal Impact (CAN) 8:00 pm FS2/TUDNx Alianza FC (SLV) v. Tigres UANL (MEX) 8:00 pm FS+/TUDN Comunicaciones (GUA) v. Club America (MEX) 10:00 pm FS2/TUDN Thursday, February 20 AD San Carlos (CRC) v. New York City FC (USA) 8:00 pm FS2/TUDN CD Olimpia (HON) v. Seattle Sounders (USA) 10:00 pm FS2/TUDN Second Leg Tuesday, February 25 Atlanta United (USA) v. FC Motagua (HON) 8:00 pm Cruz Azul (MEX) v. Portmore United (JAM) 10:00 pm Wednesday, February 26 New York City FC (USA) v. AD San Carlos (CRC) 6:00 pm Montreal Impact (CAN) v. D. Saprissa (CRC) 8:00 pm Tigres UANL (MEX) v. Alianza FC (SLV) 8:00 pm Club America (MEX) v. Comunicaciones (GUA) 10:00 pm Thursday, February 27 Seattle Sounders (USA) v. CD Olimpia (HON) 10:00 pm Los Angeles FC (USA) v. Club Leon (MEX) 10:00 pm The Quarterfinals start on March 10.
Once upon a time Liga Mx could throw out subs and easily win. But whatever gap that existed was already rather small last year. Even with MLS clubs in pre-season I think the overall goal differential favored MLS clubs last year. 4th Liga Mx club - Leon was not in top 8 seeds this year. MLS has been changing dramatically and the perception of sheep lags behind reality.
Well you'd be wrong. Except for Toluca, all the rest of the Liga MX teams dominated even more so than in recent years.
I think it was @AndyMead who called it after 2018. He said that with such a close call by Toronto that in 2019 Liga MX teams will take MLS teams more seriously and you'll see a reversion to dominant scorelines. Those numbers reflect that.
Which does indicate the gap is closing. Just having Liga MX teams taking the game seriously is a huge improvement over a decade+ ago when they'd go with subs and academy players and still beat MLS teams. I'm not sure the gap will close entirely in the near future, but MLS teams do seem to have a propensity for grabbing the top attackers in LigaMX now, so it seems more likely that the gap will continue to close and we aren't too far away from a periodic win by an MLS team.
And it was his Sporting Kansas City who, after surprising against Toluca, ended up conceding the worst ever aggregate scoreline against Liga MX (10:2).
From a historical perspective, this is the last chance for MLS to avoid a 20-year anniversary of "non-success" since the LA Galaxy won the 2000 Champions Cup. It is also the last opportunity to make some noise at the Club World Cup since starting in 2021, with an expanded 24-team tournament, all non-European clubs will be relegated to a sideshow/punching bag in the mold of the Washington Generals. There is also the motivation of breaking the longest consecutive winning streak any confederation has ever seen in its premier club competition. Even New Zealand tripped up once again last year: CONCACAF: 14 – Mexico (ongoing) OFC: 8 – New Zealand (end of streak 2018) UEFA: 6 – England (end of streak 1982) CONMEBOL: 4 – Argentina (end of streak 1970 and 1975); Brazil (end of streak 2013) AFC: 3 – South Korea (end of streak 1998) CAF: 3 – Cameroon (end of streak 1980)
Well, there is hope for some closing of the gap this year, because MLS keeps hiring Liga MX players. If you can't beat em, join em.
Is there a law that says you can't? Liga MX hires South Americans all the time. Were they able to compete in Libertadores because of all those South American they hired?
Oh I am sorry. Then yes, MLS needs to hire all of Liga MX players. If you can't beat them just buy them.
Some historical data as we head into the tournament today: MLS teams have participated in 44 knockout ties v. non-MLS competition since the CCL reformatted in 2008. MLS teams have won 16 of those matchups. MLS advancement record v. opponent by country Mexico: 6-25 Costa Rica: 4-1 Panama: 2-2 CFU: 1-0 El Salvador: 1-0 Guatemala: 1-0 Honduras: 1-0 MLS advancement record based on home result Loss: 0-8 Draw: 1-11 Win by 1: 2-9 Win by 2+: 13-0 Montreal advanced with a home draw v. Pachuca in 2014-15, Toronto advanced with a 1-goal home win v. Tigres in 2018, and Houston advanced with a 1-goal home win v. Guastatoya in 2019. I've got a spreadsheet with all of these knockout matches laid out, so holler if you have any info you'd like to know.
Other info: MLS advancement record based on away result Loss by 3+: 0-11 Loss by 2: 2-7 Loss by 1: 6-6 Draw: 4-3 Win: 4-1 MLS advancement record based on 1st-leg result Loss by 3+: 0-4 Loss by 2: 1-5 Loss by 1: 3-5 Draw: 3-8 Win by 1: 2-6 Win by 2: 5-0 Win by 3+: 2-0
They did. This is the national stadium in Kingston, about 35 minutes away from their home ground. Which, I just learned, is called the Prison Oval because it's on the grounds of a maximum-security prison, which allows some inmates to watch matches from their cells. I desperately wish this game was there. Edit: looks like this
El 11 para el primer partido en la historia de #LAFC #MLS en una Copa de Campeones de Concacaf #Concachampions pic.twitter.com/vY3M1ukb0G— John E. Rojas (@jrojasa75) February 19, 2020 LAFC line up pretty interesting. Vela forced into central striker role (if he stays there) is generally a win for the opposition. Jankovich to fill Zimmeraman's spot ? Atuesta with no previously disclosed injury? Not in 18. No BWP yet. Big debut (isn't it?) for their new number 8.