The Montreal Impact were so close to becoming the first-ever MLS team to win the CONCACAF Champions League. Montreal had the advantage going into the second-leg at home, but fell short. MLS has long been looking for its first champion, a feat that might help gain more credibility towards the league. With the CONCACAF Champions League groups picked on Monday, MLS has to be excited about its representatives this season.
MLS’ best chance at winning the Champions League comes from the Seattle Sounders. Seattle clinched a spot in the Champions League by winning the U.S. Open Cup and the MLS Supporters’ Shield. After having the best record in MLS last season, the Sounders are back at it again, leading the league with 26 points. Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins have been a deadly combo up front, and Stefan Frei has looked great in goal. The Sounders are not only a favorite to win MLS, but they should be looked at as a favorite to win CONCACAF.
The Los Angeles Galaxy are a representative after winning MLS Cup last season. The team is in its first season post-Landon Donovan and currently sits in fifth in the Western Conference. However, star forward Robbie Keane had been out, and Steven Gerrard will be coming in soon from Liverpool. Alan Gordon has been playing hero for LA and Omar Gonzalez has been anchoring the defense, but once Keane and Gerrard settle in their roles, this team will be just as dangerous as ever, and certainly, a team capable of claiming the Champions League title.
By finishing the regular season in first-place in the Eastern Conference, D.C. United punched their ticket to the Champions League. The United lost in the quarterfinals of the Champions League last season but will look to improve on that this year. D.C. is led by goalie Bill Hamid, who is as reliable as any goalkeeper in MLS. The United do not have a star forward that will score all the goals, but they feature a solid all-around team with experience that is capable of doing some damage in the Champions League.
The oddball out of the MLS reps this year is Real Salt Lake. RSL slid into the Champions League because Seattle won two cups that claim two of the spots. LA Galaxy and D.C. United would be next in line, but they clinched their own spots, so RSL clinches by being the fourth best team in MLS last year. Traditionally a great team, Real Salt Lake has struggled this year and finds itself in the bottom of the Western Conference. Despite this, RSL still has the players capable of producing a deep run in the Champions League. Javier Morales is a magician on the field and has experience in the Champions League, scoring a goal in the final leg when RSL was runner-up in 2010-2011. Alavaro Saborio can put it in the back of the net, and Kyle Beckerman and Jamison Olave are reliable as well. Do not expect anything major from Real Salt Lake this year, but if they can start playing like the RSL of old, a magical run could be in the works.
The Canadian representative this year is also an MLS representative. The Vancouver Whitecaps currently sit in second in the West and have looked much improved this season. After being one of the top defenses last season, Vancouver looks like a force again. The difference between this year’s squad and last year’s team that just snuck into the playoffs is the addition of Octavio Rivero. Rivero has been the forward the team needed, leading the league with 54 shots, 23 of which are on goal. The Whitecaps are one of the favorites to win MLS and can be a strong sleeper to go one step further than their Canadian counterparts in Montreal did by becoming the first MLS side to win the Champions League.
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