- For Columbus Crew SC it will be the third appearance
- Atlanta United will compete in the SCCL for the third consecutive year
- Portland will be making their third SCCL appearance
- Philadelphia Union are just one of two teams making their SCCL debut
MIAMI, Florida – With the 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Draw set for this week, the four qualified teams from Major League Soccer (MLS) will be eager to learn who their opponents will be in the Round of 16.
For 2020 MLS Cup winner Columbus Crew SC, the 2021 SCCL marks a long-awaited return to Concacaf competition. Columbus will appear in the SCCL for the first time since the 2010-11 edition. Overall, it will be the third appearance for Crew SC.
Columbus’ first appearance came in the 2009-10 tournament and included a 1-0 victory in Costa Rica against Deportivo Saprissa, which remains the only victory for an MLS team against Saprissa in Costa Rica. Crew SC would later fall 5-4 on aggregate to Toluca of Mexico in a memorable quarterfinal series.
Their second appearance came a year later in 2010-11 and on the strength of a 1-0 home win with Mexico’s Santos Laguna, Columbus reached the knockout round for the second straight season, only to fall to fellow MLS side Real Salt Lake 4-1 on aggregate in the quarterfinals.
Like Columbus, Portland will be making their third SCCL appearance in the 2021 SCCL. The Timbers competed in both the 2014-15 and 2016-17 editions, yet were unable to advance out of the group stage. The winners of the 2020 MLS Is Back tournament will hope to change things in 2021.
Atlanta United will compete in the SCCL for the third consecutive year as the reigning holders of the U.S. Open Cup.
Atlanta United followed very similar paths in their first two appearances. In 2019, the Georgia side eliminated Herediano of Costa Rica in the Round of 16 before falling to Mexico’s Monterrey in the quarterfinals, 3-1. A year later in the 2020 edition, Atlanta United defeated Honduran side Motagua before being eliminated by Club America of Mexico in the quarterfinals, 3-1.
Rounding out the list of MLS team qualified for the 2021 SCCL are debutants Philadelphia Union, who earned a spot by virtue of winning the 2020 MLS Supporters Shield. The Union are just one of two teams making their SCCL debut in 2021.
