It's been a few years since we had to worry about what happens to the CONCACAF Champions League berths if one team qualifies in multiple ways, but we got our answer on Monday when the berths of the 2012-13 tournament were announced. As suspected, the Seattle Sounders will join the Los Angeles Galaxy in going straight through to the group stage.
CONCACAF Champions League 2012-13: LA Galaxy’s MLS Cup Win Is Good News For Seattle Sounders
By virtue of claiming both of MLS’s automatic group stage berths, the Sounders claim one based on finishing second in the regular season.
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There was some slight confusion on what would happen if the Galaxy claimed both the Supporters' Shield and the MLS Cup, both of which come along with automatic group stage berths. The last time one team won the Shield and MLS Cup in 2008, the regular season's second-place team went straight through to the group stage. But that year, the Houston Dynamo had not qualified any other way. This year, the second-place team was the Sounders, who had already qualified after winning the U.S. Open Cup.
The two preliminary round spots will go the the Houston Dynamo, who qualified via winning the Eastern Conference crown, and Real Salt Lake, who earned qualification via their finishing third in the regular season. RSL's qualification was assured when the Galaxy advanced to the MLS Cup final.
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