MIAMI, Florida – The 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals will kick off next week and one of the more intriguing match-ups will see four-time SCCL champions Monterrey clash with 2020 MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew SC.

Heading into the final eight, history will certainly be on the side of Rayados. The Liga MX side has played 12 SCCL matches against MLS opposition, with a sparkling 9W-1D-2L record, scoring 26 goals and conceding 10.

Monterrey’s road to their first SCCL title in 2010-11 saw them play four matches against MLS teams. Rayados collected a pair of wins (2-0 and 3-2) in the group stage over the Seattle Sounders before their dramatic 3-2 aggregate victory over Real Salt Lake in the Final.

After a hard-fought 2-2 draw in the first leg in Monterrey, a Humberto Suazo goal paved the way for a 1-0 Monterrey win in the second leg in Utah and a first SCCL title for the club.

A year later in the 2011-12 edition, the Sounders were once again a group stage opponent and this time the MLS side turned the tables with a 1-0 win at Monterrey. Rayados would avenge that loss though in the group stage finale with a 2-1 victory at Seattle.

While there was no MLS team to contend with in the group stage of their 2012-13 SCCL winning campaign, Monterrey still had to clear a difficult hurdle in the semifinals against the Los Angeles Galaxy. The Liga MX side rallied from a 1-0 second half deficit to claim a 2-1 first leg win in California, before sealing the 3-1 aggregate win with a 1-0 home victory in the second leg.

Monterrey’s journey to a fourth SCCL crown in 2019 included meetings with MLS teams in the quarterfinals and semifinals. A 3-0 home win in the first leg over Atlanta United allowed Rayados to close out the quarterfinal series 3-1 on aggregate.

The club then enjoyed a goal-scoring outburst in the semifinals against Sporting Kansas City with a 5-0 first leg win at home, followed by a 5-2 second leg victory away for a 10-2 aggregate triumph.

Now, for the first time, Monterrey will square off against a Columbus team that is 1W-1D-4L all-time against Liga MX clubs.

Crew SC’s first meetings against Liga MX came in their SCCL debut in 2009-10 when they were defeated 5-0 and 2-0 in the group stage by Cruz Azul, but then the team put forth a strong performance in the quarterfinals, narrowly losing 5-4 on aggregate to Toluca after a 2-2 draw and 3-2 defeat.

A year later came their last two matches against Liga MX opposition, beginning with a 1-0 group stage defeat at Santos Laguna, followed by a 1-0 home win over Santos.