MLS crushed again as Liga MX dominates the Concacaf Champions Cup | OneFootball

MLS fans again bet their hopes on the Concacaf Champions Cup, but what they saw was the same all over again. Seattle Sounders and FC Cincinnati took to the pitch wanting to make history but were overwhelmed by Cruz Azul and Tigres UANL, who reaffirmed Mexican soccer's total dominance in the tournament.

What happened in the round of 16 revealed once more the weaknesses of the MLS teams and the maturity of the Mexican teams in decisive matches.

FC Cincinnati believes so, but Tigres puts them into perspective

FC Cincinnati came into the second leg against Tigres UANL with a genuine chance. Following a first-leg draw, Evander scored a stunning goal in the 18th minute, and for a moment, it seemed like MLS might finally pull off the upset. But the issue wasn't scoring the opening goal. The issue was holding up under the pressure of a team accustomed to coming back.

Tigres responded in the second half. Ozziel Herrera tied the game on a header, Juan Brunetta scored them a goal shortly thereafter, and Nicolás Ibáñez sealed the victory with another headed goal. A Cincinnati collapse in less than ten minutes was sufficient to turn hope into despair.

With a 3-1 victory (4-2 aggregate), Tigres advanced to the quarterfinals and extended their historic 16-game unbeaten streak against MLS clubs.

Seattle Sounders comes in, gets knocked out, and departs with a crushing loss

If Cincinnati at least demonstrated a spark of hope before losing, Seattle Sounders did not even do that. Following the scoreless draw in the first leg, Cruz Azul resolved matters conclusively.

The 4-1 aggregate result does not lie. Carlos Rodríguez gave Sounders the lead early in the first half, Ángel Sepúlveda added another from a penalty to extend the advantage, Danny Musovski reduced the deficit, but Luka Romero and Jorge Sánchez finished off the game. It began as a close-fought match that eventually became a blowout.

Aside from elimination, Sounders endured another loss: injuries to Paul Arriola and Jordan Morris.

And if anyone was still in doubt about Liga MX's dominance over MLS, here is one fact that says it all. In two-leg knockout matches since 2008, Liga MX clubs have won or progressed 20 out of 21 times after winning or drawing the first leg away from home.

Why is Liga MX dominating?

Year after year, MLS teams are knocked out of the Concacaf Champions Cup, and Mexican teams know how to play in this tournament. Liga MX teams have deeper rosters and fewer financial constraints. While much as MLS teams complain about having a hard salary cap, Mexican teams build well-balanced rosters with good benches so their level of performance is high in do-or-die games.

Besides, home-field advantage matters — very much. It is always difficult for MLS teams to travel to Mexico. The stadium atmosphere and the heat do matter. MLS teams continue to invest and sign players, but there is still a gap with Liga MX.