CONCACAF Champions League Semifinal Preview
Who Is the Best?
It’s coming down to the wire as the best four teams made it to the CONCACAF Champions League Semifinals! For the second year in a row, fans will see a Liga MX team clash with an MLS team in the final.
Only two can make it to the CONCACAF Champions League final! On the MLS side, will it be the high-flying LAFC, or will the Philadelphia Union get revenge for last year’s MLS Cup final? For Liga MX, can Tigres continue their hot streak after a poor start in the Round of 16, or will Leon bounce back after an embarrassing loss to Violette?
Let’s dive into some CONCACAF Champions League action!
Champions League Teams
At the start, 16 teams qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League. These 16 teams qualified through different tournaments and their respective league positions. This year we saw five teams from MLS, four from Liga MX, three from Honduras, and one from the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Panama, and El Salvador.
Of those 16 Champions League Teams, four of the best have made it to the CONCACAF Champions League Semifinals. Those teams are LAFC (MLS), Philadelphia Union (MLS), Tigres (Liga MX), and Leon (Liga MX).
Champions League Schedule
All four semifinal team will play their opponent twice in a home and away leg. Here is the champions league schedule for the CONCACAF Champions League Semifinals:
First Leg 4/25-4/26
Tigres (-130) vs. Leon (+300)
Philadelphia Union (+115) vs. LAFC (+180)
Second Leg 5/2-5/3
LAFC vs. Philadelphia Union May 2nd
Leon vs. Tigres May 3rd
Road to the CONCACAF Champions League Semifinal
Every team has had its journey and struggles throughout the tournament. Some have even sacrificed league standings! All of that has led to this moment. Here are the journeys of each team in the CONCACAF Champions League Semifinal. Their betting odds to win the whole tournament will be listed as well!
LAFC (+250)
Almost immediately after the competing teams were announced, LAFC was considered the favorite to win the CONCACAF Champions League. They dominated MLS in 2022 and won the MLS Cup to qualify for the tournament.
Their road to the CONCACAF Champions League Semifinal was easier than expected. In the Round of 16, they played L.D. Alajuelense comfortably went through 4-2 on aggregate. In the next Round, they took on fellow MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps and decimated the Canadian side 6-0. Now they’re in the semifinal against Philadelphia Union. This will be a rematch of the 2022 MLS Cup final, and both teams have much to prove.
Leon (+400)
Leon has a history of doing well in the CONCACAF Champions League. Besides LAFC, Leon had one of the easiest routes to the CONCACAF Champions League Semifinal. They came out on top against two teams with no business playing at that high level. First, they decimated Tauro 3-0 on aggregate. However, it could have been much worse. And they beat up Violette 6-2 on aggregate in the next Round.
They come up against a fellow Liga MX side, Tigres, who they know all too well. They have faced off more times than one can count in both the Clausura and the Apatura. Leon is ahead of them in the tables, and they have already beaten them once this season. Leon is the favorite in this matchup, but you can never count out Tigres.
Tigres (+500)
Tigres are the only team in the CONCACAF Champions League Semifinals who have won the Champions League. They last won back in 2020, with LAFC as the runner ups. Tigres had a tough opening draw in the Champions League. They went up against Orlando City SC, and drew both games. They only made it through on away goals in the second leg. However, in the next Round, they cruised through both games by beating Motagua 6-0 on aggregate.
Tigres face Leon, who has beaten them already once this season. However, Tigres know how to win this tournament, so you can never count them out.
Philadelphia Union (+1000)
The Philadelphia Union seems the odd team out of the four semifinalists. While they are a good side in their own right, they have yet to impress in any of their competitions this year. After topping the table last year, they are closer to the bottom in the East in MLS. However, they have also squeezed through to the CONCACAF Champions League Semifinal.
To kick off their Champions League campaign, they took on Alianza from El Salvador. The Union had a disappointing first leg with a 0-0 draw where they should have had one. They did it in the second leg to go through 4-0. However, they did not look good in that performance. In the next Round, they played the Mexican side, Atlas, where they were favored. After some calls going their way and a couple of red cards in each leg, they advanced 3-2 on aggregate.
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