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The CONCACAF Champions League is an incredible tournament filled to the brim with drama and nonsense and passion and everything there is to like about football. Thanks to the presence of Liga MX and MLS sides, it’s a well documented tournament that gets a lot of people talking year in and year out.
In contrast to the heavily scrutinized CCL, the 2nd tier CONCACAF League is more like the wild west of the confederation. Featuring 22 (formerly 16) teams from across Central America, the Caribbean, and now one from Canada, this tournament may lack the heavyweights of the region but packs all that same passion and drama that it’s older brother does. It’s also, for most English speaking fans, a complete plunge into a new world. Maybe you’ve heard of a few of these teams because they were in the CCL in years past; but the majority of the clubs in the CONCACAF League are a complete mystery to many fans.
As someone who has been writing about this tournament since the inaugural edition back in 2017 let me be the first to tell you: the CONCACAF League is extremely fun. A straight knockout bracket makes it simple and entertaining to jump into a random game with no context and just enjoy the chaos and the golazos. However, if you *want* some context, look no further, because as always I am here with a full primer on all 22 teams competing in the tournament this year. In this comprehensive guide you will find: 1) A brief explanation of the tournament’s format, schedule, and rules. 2) An overview of every team including their history, recent performances, notable players, and fun facts. 3) A quick look at the bracket and other useful resources.
Tournament Overview
Though the CONCACAF League initially had 16 teams competing over four rounds of knockout play, it has now expanded to 22 teams, adding an extra preliminary round in which 12 teams square off to join the ten that qualified directly for the Round of 16. In the past, only the winner qualified for the CCL, but now the top 6 teams, meaning all semifinalists and the best two losing quarterfinalists (based on total points accrued, followed by goal difference if necessary), will qualify for the CCL in 2020.
Each round is played as a home and away two legged series where the away goals rule serves as the tiebreaker; if the teams are level on away goals the match goes straight to penalty kicks. The exception to this is the final, which does not use away goals and will feature extra time during the 2nd leg if necessary.
The schedule for the matches is as follows:
The reigning champions are Herediano of Costa Rica, who are back to defend their title. 2017 winners Olimpia from Honduras are also among the contenders.
Meet the teams!
Forge FC
The very first representative of Canada in this competition and the first representative of the new CPL in continental history, Forge are certainly a team to keep an eye on. They are the ultimate unknown. How good is the CPL exactly? Nobody is entirely sure yet. How will they prepare for a trip to Central America? We don’t know yet.
With a roster that includes mostly uncapped Canadians, it’s hard to get too excited, but they also do have some fun players like Guyanese striker Emery Welshman and fringe Senegalese international Elimane Oumar Cissé.
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Antigua GFC
Antigua are known for having an extremely plain crest and even more boring social media presence, but they’re also part of a new generation of powers in Guatemalan football that have overthrown the decades old duopoly of Municipal and Comunicaciones. Their only appearance in continental play was when they finished last in their group in the 2016-17 Champions League, having been robbed of more chances due to Guatemala’s FIFA suspension.
The Avocado Farmers are coming off a fantastic season. They finished in first place in the regular season and then handled business in the playoffs, conceding just one goal in the postseason. Knocking off a Guastatoya side that hadn’t lost a playoff series in three seasons and gave FC Dallas everything they could handle back in February is no small feat.
The loss of long time top scorer Agustin Herrera will hurt this team’s production, but the back line of Guatemalan international Christian Jimenez, Costa Rican international Jose Mena, and veteran Edwin Fuentes, who was a key part of the Malacateco team that just lost to Antigua in the finals, will prove difficult to break down.
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CD Olimpia
Olimipa are Honduras’ biggest club, and they are coming into this year’s tournament with a hunger you don’t usually see from giants. After losing the Clausura final to Motagua last month, the domestic title drought grew to six seasons. They also missed the 2019 Champions League, breaking their perfect attendance record of participating in every CCL since the tournament rebranded in 2008. So needless to say, the players, the fans, and the ownership are all hungry to get back to winning.
With a first round bye, they’ll get a chance to grow into the season via some domestic matches before returning to the continental stage, where they’ll be among the favorites. Remember they just won it all two years ago. I am being 100% serious when I say that the key player for Olimpia is Jerry Bengston, who actually had one of the best years of his career last year and led the Honduran League with 24 goals. Look out for Olimpia to make a serious run at the title.
Comunicaciones
One of Guatemala’s big two, Comunicaciones have been out of the spotlight for a little while. Los Cremas haven’t won the local title since the 2015 Clausura, but have a lengthy history in continental play. Two time winners of the UNCAF Interclub Cup, the spiritual predecessor to this tournament, and the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 1978, the club will be looking to regain some of the reputation that it has lost in recent years. A deep run in this tournament would be a loud way to accomplish that.
Mexican Agustin Herrera won the golden boot in both the Apertura and Clausura last year for Antigua, and Los Cremas have scooped him up for the upcoming campaign. This is a very big move that completes the squad. Comunicaciones had the best defense in Guatemala last year, and they’ve now just added the league’s most potent goalscorer for three years running. This team has the potential to go far, and if fans can pack the national stadium like they should then Los Cremas will be a very tough out.
Marathón
Central American teams did quite well in the 2019 CCL. Both Costa Rican sides won home legs against the big boys, Guastatoya had Dallas shook, and Alianza held off eventual champions Monterrey for 175 minutes. Marathón were the exception; they were hammered 11-2 in the first round by Santos Laguna.
So of course they’ll be looking to bounce back from that, but I’m not the biggest believer. Besides Yustin Arboleda who dropped 20 goals last year, they’ve also got Carlo Costly, who is somehow still around and playing soccer at a high level. Goalkeeper Denovan Torres made the 40 man roster for the Gold Cup but didn’t make the final team. Las Esmeraldas are not bad per se, but they don’t excite me either.
CD Guastatoya
The last Guatemalan team in the field, and a side that looked unbeatable for most of 2018. During the calendar year they won two league titles and had a pretty easy time in both playoff runs. They played great against Dallas in the 2019 CCL and after a slow start in the league they finished the year smoking hot to sneak into the playoffs and back to the semifinals where Antigua finally put them down.
It may sound cliche, but over the last 18 months this teams has been so unwilling to die. Even in those series that they did ultimately end up losing, Guasta battled tooth and nail right down to the end, and they always have the vibe about them that they’re actually going to pull it off. It reminds me of Club América in the liguilla, for comparison.
In the CCL they were forced to play their home leg away from home because their stadium didn’t meet the requirements. I imagine that will be the case once again so I will throw in this fun fact now since you are unlikely to see it for yourself: there is a large waterpark just behind the club’s stadium and it’s an amazing backdrop for a game of soccer.
Belmopan Bandits
The Bandits have been the lone representative for Belize in continental play for a little while, and they held off a fierce challenge from Verdes and the San Pedro Pirates this year to qualify for the CONCACAF League once more. Belizean teams have not had the best of results against the rest of Central America, and the Bandits have yet to advance past the first round even when getting an easy draw. Unfortunately for them, Saprissa is anything but an easy draw this time around.
Now of course, it’s CONCACAF and anything can happen on your home turf. The real challenge for coach Kent Gray is figuring out how to survive the away fixture in San José. At his disposal is a handful of Belize national team members, including Ian Gaynair, who scored against the US at the 2013 Gold Cup. Perhaps the most dangerous man is Rony Flores, a Honduran journeyman striker who has one cap for Los Catratchos. His career notably spanned time in the Chinese Super League for Shenzhen.
Deportivo Saprissa
Every time I write one of these continental previews it seems like I say the same things about Saprissa. They are the biggest and most respected team in CONCACAF outside of Liga MX and MLS, and they will be perennial contenders to win this tournament for probably decades to come. Winning in the Monster’s Cave at Estadio Saprissa is a massive undertaking, and El Monstruo Morado even took care of Liga MX champions Tigres there back in February. Just qualifying for the CCL is a must, but Saprissa are looking to win it all.
They also bring the big names to the table. Check out this Central American All Stars lineup: Christian Bolaños, Johan Venegas, Randall Leal, and Marvin Angulo are all fearsome players that can control the midfield and/or score goals by themselves. At the back they may lack the brand names but the talent is still there. Alexander Robinson has been part of the setup for over a decade and 20 year old Yostin Salinas has an extremely high ceiling. It’s Saprissa, you know what it is.
CD Aguila
The reigning champions of El Salvador also earned themselves a free pass into the round of 16 when they beat Alianza on penalties back in May. Much of what I wrote about them before that final still applies here.
Historically, they’ve been continental champions one time, back in 1976. However before this past Spring they were in a title drought stretching back to 2012. In fact, they’ve only won 5 titles since 2000. Considering there are two seasons a year, that’s a pretty bare patch in history for El Salvador’s second most winningest club. A decent run here would go a long way to restore the club’s honor, but with Saprissa looming large on the horizon that seems unlikely.
As I said, the roster is virtually the same from the one that won the championship a few months ago. Benji Villalobos is a really good goalkeeper even though he is more famous for his match fixing scandal. Fredy Espinosa has been on the back line for an eternity even though he’s only 26.
This team is very strange. I realize they just won the championship and finished a respectable 2nd place in the regular season, but they also kind of are not that good. 27 goals in 22 games last year is not exactly a great figure. But they’re well organized and hardly ever concede, so it’ll be interesting how they match up with (probably) Saprissa.
Robinhood
The first Surinamese club in CONCACAF League history and one not to be confused with Robin Hood of Bermuda, who sent numerous players to the Gold Cup in June. They’re here after traversing the long and windy path of the Caribbean Club Shield, which they won, and then a playoff against the 4th place team in the Caribbean Club Championship, which they also won.
Now believe it or not, Robinhood have a large history in CONCACAF. They’re actually five time runner ups in the Champions Cup (the old Champions League). FIVE! Not a bad resume, but I don’t think that title will be coming any time soon as much of the continent has since passed them up. Nonetheless they’ll be an interesting specimen to look at this year.
Caribbean Club Shield top scorer Stefano Rijssel and attacking midfielder Roxey Fer will be creating the bulk of the chances, but a team that was ultimately not very dominant in the Shield may struggle to get anything going against the next level of competition.
AS Capoise
The Haitian season runs later than most, and thus ASC have had only a short break before this tournament gets started up. Haiti just made headlines at the Gold Cup over the summer, and I think it’s fair to say people are interested to see what their domestic league is serving up.
Capoise finished 2nd in the Ouverture (Apertura) regular season but fell in the semifinals. It’s very hard to find footage of the Haitian League online, but if the Caribbean Club Championship was any indication ASC play a swashbuckling open game, having led the tournament in goals scored and goals against. They fell behind in all three matches but managed to turn a 2-0 into a 2-2 and a 1-0 (within the opening minute!) into a 3-2 victory. Sounds like fun.
There’s one extremely noteworthy player for Capoise: Djimy Alexis. Gold Cup enthusiasts may recognize the name as the guy who scored the eventual game winner against Costa Rica to send Haiti to the top of the group. He was the club’s only player at the Gold Cup, but what an impact.
Club Atlético Independiente
The heroes of the winter. Independiente slaughtered, and I mean slaughtered, crushed, destroyed, decimated, whatever adjective you want to use, Toronto FC in the 2019 Champions League. 4-0 in Panama, 1-1 in Toronto. The golden boys of MLS were done very badly. Independiente proved it wasn’t a fluke when they beat Sporting KC in Panama in the next round, though the Blues managed to just sneak out a series win at home.
Plenty of stars emerged from that campaign. Omar Browne immediately moved to MLS and scored a game winner on his debut. Romeesh Ivey, who spent much of his time making MLS defenses look like swiss cheese, has moved on to Colombia. But despite the stars departing, the bulk of the team remains in tact and it was an entire unit that played so well in the CCL, not just the talented few individuals.
I’ve stressed it many times but I’m going to use Independiente as an example to stress it again: preparation is key to success in a CONCACAF tournament. Not tactical preparation, but all of the off the field stuff. The game outside of the game is what trips everyone up when they go to Central America. With their impressive results *away* from home, Independiente demonstrated they not only know how to make life a nightmare for visitors but also how to quickly recover from long flights, find proper nutrition, and all the other little things that effect your performance when you’re thousands of miles from home in another country.
Alianza
The Salvadoran giants just lost a tough (and not particularly exciting) final back in May, but they had a great season and as previously mentioned took Monterrey to the brink in the CCL. And as we saw in that Monterrey series, one of the things that makes Alianza so dangerous is that they basically never concede goals at home. They conceded 14 goals at home in 44 regular season games last year, and lost only once. In the four home playoff games they had, five if you include the Monterrey game, they had 4 shutouts and conceded just twice in a draw to FAS.
The club have a long history that includes a CONCACAF title in 1967 and an UNCAF title in 1997. Salvadoran football is not in the same tier today as it was back then, but Alianza and the rest of the country’s giants can still mix it up with anyone in this tournament.
After falling short in the final, some moves were made over the summer. Most importantly, Colombian Raul Peñaranda comes to join his countryman Bladimir Diaz up front after being bought from Arabe Unido in Panama. The dangerous duo of Oscar Ceren and Diaz has now become a triangle, and combined with the ever-present stingy back line, Alianza are quite a good team.
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San Francisco
San Francisco had the best aggregate record in Panama during the 2018-19 cycle, but fell short of the championship both times and thus are stuck in the preliminary round. Even a 124th minute equalizer in the Clausura final could not save them. Crazy game.
When you get to the CONCACAF League it’s all giants, and San Francisco are relatively small by comparison. 9 league titles is nothing to sneeze at, but they’ve got no continental hardware and just don’t have the same aura as many other teams in the field. Perhaps bigger than Independiente, with whom they share a tiny stadium, but Independiente come in with pedigree and a reputation that San Francisco have never had.
But at the same time, Independiente are the poster child for ignoring reputation and winning anyway, so why not San Francisco next? Panamanian clubs are becoming more and more lethal with each passing year, coinciding with the rise of the country as a soccer nation overall.
Christian Zuñiga is a consistent goalscorer, while Jhamal Rodriguez just started scoring last year. Both hit the double digits mark in the Clausura. The departure of former Colombian international defender Humberto Mendoza is a big blow, but the team was good enough last year to absorb the loss. There is a lot of potential here for a deep run, but I wouldn't expect anything to come easily.
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Tauro FC
Tauro are a fun team, especially during their Apertura title winning season when they scored goals whenever they wanted. They had a bit more of a balanced approach in the Clausura, but they’re still some of the bigger gunslingers in this tournament. Tauro have 14 Panamanian titles, the most ever or the second most ever depending on who you ask, but their recent claim to fame was beating FC Dallas in the 2018 CCL.
They were also semifinalists in this tournament last year, beating all the teams they were supposed to and then falling to a very strong Motagua side. If they can get there a rematch with Motagua could be waiting for them again in the semifinal, but they’ve got to take care of their own business first.
Marcos Sanchez and goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera both were part of the Panama side at the Gold Cup, and Enrico Small had 19 goals last season. It’s hard to bet against any Panamanian team based on the recent results, and Tauro are no different. Just a solid team all the way around.
Real Estelí
At this point in time there are two teams in Nicaragua that are a clear cut above the rest; Real Estelí are one of them. The 13-time champions (who also hold the CONCACAF record for most consecutive national titles, with 8) are coming off a spring season in which they lost only one game and handled their business in the playoffs as the #1 seed. Despite that pedigree back home, on the continental stage Nicaraguan clubs are pretty small time, but Real Estelí did take Aguila to penalties back in their 2017 opener, so perhaps Santa Tecla is not out of reach for El Tren.
Estelí sent five players to the Gold Cup for Nicaragua, including Manuel Rosas and Josué Quijano, a pair of veteran defenders who were a big part of the club’s unbelievable defense last season. They gave up only 25 goals in 36 games. That other dominant team I mentioned? Even they conceded 41. Douglas Caé, the Brazilian import, managed 15 goals including 12 in the spring season alone. He’s back for El Tren and will probably be called upon to scratch one or two past Santa Tecla if Estelí hope to advance. Over the summer they also acquired Nicaraguan superstar Juan Barrera who returns home from abroad. Barrera didn't have a great Gold Cup but there is little argument that he is the best Nicaraguan player on the planet right now.
Santa Tecla
Few teams punched their CONCACAF League ticket with as much drama as Santa Tecla. In front of 55,000 at the Estadio Cuscatlan during the Apertura final it was an 89th minute game winning goal that sent the club into euphoria. Though they aren’t a historical power, Santa Tecla have found themselves amongst Salvadoran royalty over the past five years and have emerged as a serious force.
Wilma Torres, who scored both goals in that epic final, led the pack with 11 goals last season. However it is captain and midfielder Gerson Mayén that is really worth watching. I’ve been singing his praises for a while and he’s head and shoulders the most important player on this team. He appeared in the Gold Cup for La Selecta, and real veterans may remember him from his time at Chivas USA back at the turn of the decade.
San Carlos
San Carlos are one of the great stories in Central American football. Last year they were newly promoted to the Costa Rican first tier, and after a solid Apertura they stunned everyone by winning the Clausura in somewhat dominant fashion. To be clear, it is very rare for the Costa Rican title to leave the possession of the big three, and for it to go to a newly promoted team is unbelievable.
How did it happen? A great coach, for one. Luis Marín arrived in January and 5 months later was a national champion. Under Marín they performed tremendously in the playoffs, dropping a 4 spot on Herediano and then taking a result at Saprissa to secure the title. This was far from the grind it out tactics used by Perez Zeledon in the final to take the title a few seasons ago.
Player wise the biggest name is the now ancient Alvaro Saborío, who scored 28 goals last year and found himself back with the national team as a result. Who knows if that season was his last hurrah or if there’s more in the tank for 2019/20. Veteran Patrick Pemberton just signed for the club and will be between the posts. I’m also a big Diego Madrigal fan; he played more minutes last year than ever before and he seems to have finally found a role that he fits into along the left side. For those unfamiliar, he has the sauce. Oh and if you thought San Carlos were a fluke, they just beat Saprissa to open their season last night.
Waterhouse
The Caribbean runner-ups and Jamaican runner ups for two years straight will be thrust into the fire against Herediano in the round of 16, but don’t think this team is going to roll over and die without a fight.
This is their first time in the tournament, but last year Portmore United, also from Jamaica, became the first Caribbean team to advance past the opening round in history. Waterhouse will carry those expectations with them and a showdown with Herediano is not a viable excuse for failure; Portmore defeated Costa Rican club and 2017 runners up Santos de Guapiles in that first round encounter a year ago.
Tremaine Stewart, who tragically has lost in the Jamaican final four years in a row and counting, led the team in scoring with 11 goals. That may sound low for a 33 game season, but it was actually second best in the league. It was an exceptionally defensive season in Jamaica, and that’s surely what Waterhouse intend to use to get by their Central American opponents in this tournament. Grind out a draw on the road and steal victory at home. In truth that’s the meat and potatoes of everyone’s gameplan, but Waterhouse exemplify it the most.
CS Herediano
Costa Rica sits at the top of Central America right now, and the Liga FPD has the best teams in the subregion. Herediano impressed in the CCL, beating MLS Champions Atlanta 3-1 at home, and it honestly could’ve been a lot worse. They choked away the series in the states. How did they get to the CCL? They won the CONCACAF League last year, and are among the favorites again to repeat.
The club has a lengthy history that includes 27 Costa Rican titles, the aforementioned CONCACAF League, and plenty of runs in the CCL in the past. They play in a relatively small but compact stadium that has never been an easy place to take points at. Just ask Atlanta, or Tigres for that matter.
In the past 12 months Herediano won the CONCACAF League and then shook up Atlanta. It’s been a great stretch of continental play. The make up of the team is not *that* different, but the departure of Jimmy Marin, surely the club’s best playmaker, will be tough to absorb. They do have Yendrick Ruiz, back after a brief stint in Bolivia. He doesn’t score the same goals he used to, but has developed nicely into a supporting forward role. Yeltsin Tejeda is a great all around midfielder and La Sele regular. The same can be said for the more attacking focused Randall Azofeifa. Keysher Fuller at right back has also just broken into the national team this year, playing regularly at the Gold Cup.
Motagua
Title or bust. That’s the mindset for Motagua right now. They were the losing finalists a year ago, and since then have reeled off two consecutive Honduran league titles. Their most recent championship over Olimpia in early June demonstrated that they are still at or near the top of the Central American food chain.
They ended last season on a 9 game unbeaten streak, and the team responsible is still here. Roberto Moreira and Kevin Lopez formed a dangerous pair of attackers with 31 goals between them, and the signing of Oscar Salas from the relegated Juticalpa gives them more depth at the top. Wilmer Crisanto is an accomplished defender that once seemed destined for big things in Argentina.
I am a big big believer in Motagua and the likely quarterfinal between them and Herediano should prove to be one of the juiciest series in the entire competition. If you only can watch one game, a Motagua home leg is a pretty great choice.
Managua FC
Nicaragua’s other team currently at the top of the heap don’t have the same history as Estelí, far from it. They’ve only got two national titles and have only been in the first division since 2010. Since their arrival though, Los Leones have rarely missed the playoffs and last year broke through as the best team in the country. They finished first overall in the aggregate table, winning the Apertura but falling in the Clausura final on away goals.
As previously mentioned, Managua’s defense was vastly inferior to Real Estelí’s, but they more than make up for it up front. Or perhaps I should say they made up for it. Edward Morillo and Lucas Oliveira were the league’s top two scorers last Clausura, with 17 and 16 apiece. Both left over the summer break, leaving this Managua team severely weakened and scrambling for someone to step up and replace their front two.
They...didn’t really sign anyone to replace them, so it’s up to one of the younger players to fill the void. 19 year old Isaac Sequeira showed a lot of promise a year ago, but it’s a big ask to replace over 50% of the team’s goals.
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