CCL: Tigres and Monterrey provide MLS clubs a rude awakening

Everything that could have gone wrong for Major League Soccer clubs this week in the CONCACAF Champions League did. For two Liga MX clubs in particular, the lesson provided to the league through their CCL  victories was their dominance.

A hopeful group of four Major League Soccer clubs entered the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Champions League with dreams of leading the way for the league. There was a strong possibility of having at least half of those clubs moving on to the semi-finals, but as it stands, with the second legs played on Tuesday and Wednesday night this week, none will be progressing to the next round unless they can find an oasis of goals.

Two clubs in particular that stand in the way are Tigres and Monterrey, facing the Houston Dynamo and Atlanta United respectively. These two Liga MX clubs are at the top of their game and both held the top two spots in the Mexican first division, prior to the weekend’s Clasico Regio.

For both the Dynamo and Atlanta, Saturday’s clash between Tigres and Monterrey, which ended in a 1-1 draw and was a feisty affair, might benefit them as the Liga MX duo should have tired legs from the second legs. Aside from that, the task at hand to turn the ties around is a colossal task.

It couldn’t have gone any better for Tigres and Monterrey in the opening leg of the quarter-final round. They both showed their clinical finishing ability and quality in both fixtures. Neither of their MLS opponents were able to match them and their own mistakes led to their downfall in the end.

There is no doubt that every quarter-final matchup has been disappointing and, for the Dynamo and Atlanta, these contests might not even finish relatively close in terms of the scoreline when all is said and done. This was something that was not expected and has given them a rude awakening.

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In hindsight, this year might have been one of the most difficult CCL competitions for MLS clubs to find success. Tigres and Monterrey are flying high both domestically and in the CCL. Both Liga MX clubs continue to pour into their player investments and have only gotten stronger. Challenging their might, financially and on the pitch, was never going to be easy.

That said, Atlanta especially is a club everyone expected more of in this competition. When it drew Monterrey in the quarter-finals, it was going to be the marquee fixture of the round. But thus far, questions have been asked of the defending MLS champions on every part of the pitch with few answers.

New manager Frank de Boer has endured a rude awakening to the CCL and it is likely to be a quick exit for Atlanta in a competition they would have been hoping to go far in. After their dominant showing in MLS last season, it appeared they might be the first MLS club to lift the CCL trophy in the spring. However, that almost certainly won’t be happening this time around.

The MLS will have to wait another year for their first CCL title. What Tigres and Monterrey did last week shows the gap is still there between the top quality of the two leagues.