For the past few weeks, there has been a lot of talk about Major League Soccer finally taking the CCL tournament seriously. And I think it is also safe to say that Mexican clubs who had not started taking it more seriously (even though the country has produced all the champions) will do so in the future out of fear of losing to MLS.
But in my opinion the forgotten individuals who deserve credit for the fantastic series we saw the past two weeks are those responsible for the stunning success of the Puerto Rico Islanders and Montreal Impact in previous years. These two clubs played a crucial part in the story leading up to this enthralling moment for three reasons.
First – The Embarrassment Factor: Sure, nobody from MLS or any of the league’s clubs will ever admit it, but being beaten and/or overshadowed by lower division teams in the first two editions of the tournament has not exactly been a shining endorsement for the nation’s top flight. Clubs with fewer resources and more complex schedules were proving that the excuses MLS clubs were making for CCL failure were arguably not adequate or applicable.
Second – Creation of Intrigue: With MLS and, for the most part, the Mexican and Central American clubs approaching CONCACAF’s new version of the club championship timidly, the tournament could easily have followed the same predictable and dreary path its cup predecessor usually took and been a failure. But the surprising runs by Montreal and Puerto Rico captured the imagination of people not only in CONCACAF, but around the world as second division clubs were making headlines going head-to-head with success against the best teams in the confederation. Puerto Rico’s amazing run to be within moments of reaching the CCL Final just two years ago was the stuff of legend and will likely never happen again, capturing the attention of fans and media that typically would have turned a blind eye to the event. When Puerto Rico returned the following year, the intrigue of another potential Cinderella run kept the eyes open as MLS began to make small strides. Puerto Rico’s triumphs created a stir throughout CONCACAF and forced championship clubs throughout North and Central America’s top leagues, many of which had been confederation powerhouses, to treat every game seriously.
Third – Teaching by Example: The one fact that every media outlet continues to obsess over is Mexico’s dominance in the tournament, especially at home. Perhaps the most important thing Puerto Rico and Montreal did in 2008 was prove that these elite clubs are not impervious and can be beaten. The Islanders defeated Alajuelense in the Preliminary Round and then beat Santos Laguna in Puerto Rico before travelling to Guatemala to record a draw against Municipal. They swept Marathon in the Quarterfinals and took Cruz Azul to the brink in a semifinal series that needed penalties to decide a winner. Montreal tied Atlante, won in Honduras against Olimpia and beat Santos Laguna before succumbing in stoppage time on the road in the quarterfinals. In their second go-round, the Islanders tied Cruz Azul and Saprissa in back-to-back contests, proving the first run was no fluke.
In the end, if a ‘lowly’ second division club can give the powerhouses a run for the title, then why can’t the best clubs in MLS do the same? A question RSL no doubt asked themselves and proudly answered over the past nine months, inspiring support from clubs across the league in the process. While they too were unable to find that elusive win in Mexico, close calls against Cruz Azul and now Monterrey certainly were warning shots for the upcoming tournament’s participants from Mexico. The clock is ticking down to inevitability.
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