CCL 2020: Tigres' Last Chance?

It is almost time again for the most wonderful and blessed of all tournaments, the Concacaf Champions League. The 2020 edition kicks off later this month and should bring all of the magic and drama that we've come to expect over the years.

As a fan of the sport, the CCL is my favorite club competition in the world, hands down. But as a fan of Tigres, it has proved itself a point of frustration for many years. Tigres have entered the tournament as one of the favorites every year for half a decade now, and have exactly zero titles to show for it.

With 2020 being the last Club World Cup in the current format, and with the end of Los Felinos' dominant stretch looming on the horizon, the 2020 Champions League is of the utmost importance. Tigres did not reach the final of the Apertura. At the time of writing this, they certainly don't look likely to make the final of the Clausura.

It is more likely than not that they won't be in the 2021 CCL, and as the veteran core that has led the team to 4 Liga MX titles in the Gignac era continues to age, who knows when they will be back again. And for legendary manager Tuca Ferretti, a lack of continental success has proved to be the solitary blemish on his otherwise outstanding resume.

All of this means that 2020 is the year for Tigres to finally get the job done. The talent level is still very high. They've still got Gignac (Though they don't have Leo Fernandez for...some reason). And perhaps most importantly this time around, they have a good draw. After so many years of squaring off with the toughest Costa Rican competition around in the opening stage, Tigres have a relative breather against Alianza this year. No such thing as an easy win of course, and Alianza did give Rayados quite a scare just last year, but it's certainly a better draw than Saprissa.

Even better than that, though, is the fact that Tigres are the only Mexican club on their half of the bracket, meaning they will not see another Liga MX opponent until the final, if at all. This is an unbelievable advantage and one they cannot afford to squander. A second round matchup with San Carlos or the temporarily homeless NYCFC is again, about as good as you could hope for.

I don't want to say in years past Tuca has not cared about the Champions League. I think that would be a bit disingenuous, but I do think it's fair to say he has prioritized Liga MX throughout his tenure. The cycle has been reasonably consistent for the past four years; Tigres are lights out in the Apertura, then struggle in January/February prompting Tuca to save the best players for the playoff push rather than use them in the Champions League. They are struggling out the gate once again, but I have a feeling that maybe, just maybe, Tuca will change his philosophy this time around.

I don't think Tigres are going to fall off a cliff next year. Maybe they won't be the best team in the league every season, but I think the club's status has been permanently elevated to always expecting to at least be in the mix. But the CCL is not an easy tournament to qualify for, and it's even harder to win, as Tigres fans have learned all too well. With the way the cards are dealt right now, I think it's fair to say this is the best chance Tigres will EVER get at winning it, and they need to take advantage of it.