The field is now set for the 2015-16 edition of the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League, and the five teams representing MLS will learn their opponents in Monday's draw in Miami.
The MLS teams participating in this year's tournament are the LA Galaxy, Seattle Sounders, Real Salt Lake, D.C. United and Vancouver Whitecaps. They will be joined by 19 other teams from across North America, Central America and the Caribbean, with the 24 participants being draw into eight groups of three, playing four games from August-October 2015. The top team in each group will advance to the knockout stages, starting in February or March 2016.
Club América, the defending champions after defeating the Montreal Impact in last month's final, will have another shot at the crown by virtue of winning the 2014 Liga MX Apertura, while the remaining Mexican sides – UANL Tigres, Queretaro and Santos Laguna – are all likely to be among the contenders as well.
The 24 teams will divided into three pots based on their country of origin and method of qualification, and each group will contain one team from each pot. However, Mexican and US sides have traditionally been kept apart, and teams from the same national association are not eligible to face each other in the group stage. However, the Vancouver Whitecaps, who represent Canada in the CCL, can face a US or Mexican team.
The pots are as follows:
Pot A
LA Galaxy (USA)
Seattle Sounders (USA)
Club América (MEX)
Santos Laguna or Queretaro (MEX)
Deportivo Saprissa (CRC)
Olimpia (HON)
Comunicaciones (GUA)
Arabe Unido (PAN)
=The winners of the 2015 Liga MX Clausura final will be placed in Pot A and the runners-up will be placed in Pot B. Santos currently lead the series 5-0 on aggregate.
Pot B
D.C. United (USA)
Real Salt Lake (USA)
Vancouver Whitecaps (CAN)
UANL Tigres (MEX)
Santos Laguna or Queretaro (MEX)*
Herediano (CRC)
Motagua (HON)
Isidro Metapan (SLV)
Pot C
Municipal (GUA)
Santa Tecla (SLV)
San Francisco (PAN)
Walter Ferreti (NCA)
Verdes (BLZ)
Central (TRI)
W Connection (TRI)
Montego Bay United (JAM)
