For all of the excitement in MLS circles about Real Salt Lake's run to the CONCACAF Champions League final, there is that little cloud hanging over them that no matter how great Salt Lake does, they will not be in next season's Champions League. Even if they beat Monterrey 9-0 over the two-legged final, Salt Lake will be watching the next Champions League, which begins in July, from their couches.
CONCACAF Champions League, Where Defending Champions Don’t Defend?
The United States are granted four spots into the Champions League and those go to the MLS Cup winner, the MLS Cup runner up, the Supporters Shield winner and the US Open Cup winner. That means the Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas, the Los Angeles Galaxy and Seattle Sounders will represent the country in next year’s Champions League. Real Salt Lake is nowhere to be found there and because there is no slot for the defending champion, they don’t have a way in even if they win the final.
It is not as if Real Salt Lake are being unfairly treated though. Atlante won the first CONCACAF Champions League, but did not get the chance to defend their title and last year Pachuca won the title, but did not get to play in this year’s tournament. Under the league format of CONCACAF’s club championship tournament that went into effect in 2008, no defending champions has gotten the chance to defend their title. If Real Salt Lake can manage to beat Monterrey, they will not either.
Should CONCACAF make a special allowance for defending champions though? Liverpool won the UEFA Champions League in 2005 and Everton broke up the “big four” that year so the Reds didn’t have a Champions League spot the following season, but UEFA made a special allowance for Liverpool as the defending champions. Maybe CONCACAF should do the same.
The point of the tournament is to bring together the best club teams from the confederation and let them play to decide who is the very best. Picking the top teams from each country is a sensible way to decide who are the best teams and who should be in the tournament, but how can the defending champion of the tournament not be considered one of the best teams and deserving of competing for the title again? Monterrey have already qualified for next season’s Champions League as Apertura runners up, but if Real Salt Lake should win the Champions League title they should be given a spot in next season’s tournament, just like Atlante and Pachuca should have been given a spot in the last two tournaments.
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