MIAMI, Florida – Over the course of the last decade, football has grown substantially in the Dominican Republic. The founding of the professional Liga Dominicana de Futbol paved the way for a new era of the sport in the Caribbean country.

At the national team level, the fruits of that labor are apparent, evidenced by the runner-up finish by the Dominican Republic in the 2022 Concacaf Men’s Under-20 Championship that not only qualified the Dominican Republic for their first World Cup at any age category, but also punched their ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The growth of football in the Dominican Republic is also taking shape in the international area at the club level. Since 2018, there have been four instances in which a team from the Dominican Republic have qualified for the Concacaf Champions Cup, the latest being Moca FC, who will participate in this year’s edition.

Moca take on MLS side Nashville SC in Round One in what will be their maiden voyage in the Champions Cup after finishing in Third-Place in the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup.

Moca hold off Harbour View to advance to Champions Cup

Moca are also aiming to become the first team from the recently established LDF to win a Champions Cup series.

The history of Dominican teams in the Champions Cup actually stretches back to 1973 when Universidad Catolica became the first club from the country to compete in the tournament. Universidad Catolica squared off in the First Round of the Caribbean Zone with eventual champions SV Transvaal of Suriname, losing 8-0 and 6-0.

Nearly two decades later in 1992, San Cristobal FC got their first crack at Champions Cup and defeated Unique FC of the US Virgin Islands 5-4 on aggregate in the Preliminary Round of the Caribbean Zone thanks to a 2-1 win and 3-3 draw.

San Cristobal FC’s run ended a round later in the First Round of the Caribbean Zone to Solidarite Scolaire of Guadeloupe in a 4-3 aggregate defeat based on a 3-3 draw and 1-0 loss. Nevertheless, the series win against Unique FC stands as the lone series win for a Dominican club in Champions Cup history.

San Cristobal returned to Champions Cup competition just three years later in 1995, succumbing 2-1 on aggregate on a 1-1 draw and 1-0 defeat to FICA of Haiti in the First Round of the Caribbean Zone.

Many years would pass before Dominican teams returned to the Champions Cup arena, and Cibao FC became the first LDF club to do by winning the 2017 Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship. Despite falling to eventual champions and Mexican giants Chivas 2-0 and 5-0 in the Round of 16 of the 2018 Champions Cup, Cibao’s qualification showed that Dominican football was on the rise.

A year later, Atletico Pantoja became the second LDF side to qualify for the Champions Cup and exited the 2019 Round of 16 after 2-0 and 3-0 defeats to the New York Red Bulls. Atletico Pantoja then made their second appearance in the tournament in 2021 and made history against five-time Concacaf champions Monterrey.

Even though they were eliminated 6-1 on aggregate after 3-0 and 3-1 defeats, Lisandro Cabrera did score the club’s first Champions Cup goal when he found the back of the net in the second half of the second leg.

Now in 2024, an opportunity waits for debutants Moca, who will try to blaze a new trail by becoming the first LDF side to win a Champions Cup series and advance to the Round of 16.