Whether by design or by luck of the draw, the two sides of the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals are lining up in very different ways. On one side you have two big-money Mexican teams almost smack dab in the middle of their seasons. On the other, you have the relatively smaller-spending teams from MLS and Costa Rica. For the first time in the current incarnation of the CCL, we are guaranteed to only have one team from Mexico in the championship game.
CONCACAF Champions League, Semifinals Preview: Interesting Matchups On Both Sides Of Bracket
Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean the finals are guaranteed to feel a lot different than they have in the recent past. Cruz Azul, who will be playing Monterrey in one semifinal, is trying to become the second team in the 38-year history of the confederation’s championship series to make three straight appearances in the final. Coincidentally, the last team to pull off that feat was also Cruz Azul, who won three straight titles 1969-1971.
If they were to face Saprissa in the finals, that would give each team eight finals appearances. They are currently tied for the all time lead with seven finals appearances apiece. Cruz Azul has a record five titles, while Saprissa has won three, the most among non-Mexican teams.
On the flip side, neither Real Salt Lake nor Monterrey have ever appeared in the CCL championship game. For RSL, that's not much of a surprise since this is the first time they've made the continental tournament. Monterrey has made it as far as the semifinals, losing there most recently in 2003 and '04.
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