On May 4, 2022, the Pumas fell resoundingly before the Seattle Sounders in the final of the Concacaf Champions League. That defeat, in addition to meaning a failure for the university team, opened the doors to the MLS to have a representative in a Club World Cup for the first time.
16 years of Liga MX hegemony had passed in this tournament. The Saprissa of Costa Rica, had been the last representative of the concacafnon-Mexican, to participate in this competition, and it was coincidentally before cougarsthat the ticos they got their ticket defeating those from UNAM in Ciudad Universitaria in 2005.
Since then Monterey (5), Pachuca (4), America (3), atlantean (one), Blue Cross (one), Chivas (1) and tigers (1), they had been the standard-bearers for the concacafregistering as best participation the second place of the Tigers in the 2020 edition. The felines are followed by three third places: two from Monterrey in 2012 and 2019 and one from the Tuzos in 2017.
The count is made from editions 2006 to 2021where the Mexican clubs participated, since this Club World Cup for starting an account year 2022which is normally held in December of the current year, but for Qatar 2022 he had to schedule in 2023.
THE FIRST MLS CLUB TO PLAY A WORLD CUP
For this year the representative of the Confederation will be Seattle Soundersa club founded in 2002 and that has in its showcases two championships of the Major League Soccerr (2016 and 2019), a cup title in 2014 and last year became the first club to lift the trophy of the concahampions.
One aspect to highlight The Soundersas they are known, is that for seven years they have maintained the same coach. brian schmetzer He arrived for the 2016 campaign and since then he has managed the reins of the team, which made its first appearance on the highest American circuit in the 2009 season, under the coach’s orders sigi schmid.
That is to say, Seattle It has only had two technicians in its history within the MLS. He has participated seven times in the Concacaf Champions League and his best position, before being champion, was a fourth place in the 2012-2013 season.
THIS IS HOW THE CLUB WORLD CUP WILL BE PLAYED
The competition, which will be played in Morocco, starts this Wednesday, February 1, with the match between al ahly Y Auckland City. The winner of this key will face the Seattle Sounders on Saturday, February 4 in one of the quarterfinals and the other key will be disputed al hilal and the Moroccan painting wydad casablanca.
Real Madrid awaits in the semifinals the winner of the series that will play the box of the MLS, while Flamengo will play against the winner of the other series. The final is scheduled for Saturday February 11as was the match for third place.