Toronto FC and Mexican club Tigres do battle in the inaugural Campeones Cup on Wednesday night at BMO Field.
Here’s what you need to know about this championship.
What is the Campeones Cup?
The Campeones Cup is a brand-new competition, contested between the reigning champions of MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX. It is an annual championship that will be played at the home of the MLS Cup champions.
The Campeones Cup is an important part of an ongoing collaboration between MLS and Liga MX that both leagues believe will strengthen their popularity and overall imprint.
The hope is that this will also further flame the heated rivalry between MLS and Liga MX sides, especially ahead of next year’s Concacaf Champions League.
Who are Tigres?
Tigres are one of the biggest and most successful teams in Mexico.
Formed in 1960 and coached by the legendary Ricardo Ferretti – “He’s like the Sir Alex Ferguson of Mexican football,” says ESPN Deportes commentator Herculez Gomez – Tigres has won Liga MX six times, three Campeon de Campeones titles, and twice finished runners-up in the Concacaf Champions League.
Not only does Tigres boast a number of Mexican national team members, but they also have several foreign stars, most notably French forward Andre-Pierre Gignac and former West Ham United striker Enner Valencia.
Based in Monterrey, Tigres currently sit seventh in the Liga MX standings (out of 18 teams), six points out of first place.
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Haven’t these teams met before?
Yes, they have.
TFC and Tigres squared off in the quarterfinals of this season’s Concacaf Champions League back in March.
Toronto earned a 2-1 home win in the opening leg courtesy of goals from Jozy Altidore and Jonathan Osorio. The return match in Monterrey was a wild affair, with Tigres scoring two late goals to secure a 3-2 win.
The series ended 4-4 on aggregate, but TFC advanced to the semifinals on the away goals rule.
“They were very good the last time we saw them, and tactically a lot of things are similar to what they were before. We have to be smart in this game,” TFC coach Greg Vanney warned.
Poor timing
The timing of this new competition couldn’t come at a worse time for a Toronto side fighting to stay alive in the MLS playoff race, and with a big road game against the New York Red Bulls this weekend.
It’s also ill-timed for Tigres, who take on city rivals Monterrey on Sunday in an important Liga MX match.
Are the teams taking this seriously?
It’s a valid question in light of this being a brand-new championship, and both teams have important league games this weekend.
Vanney didn’t tip his hand, but you can expect him to rotate his squad and give some starters the night off on Wednesday ahead of Saturday’s trip to New York. Vanney did, however, rule out using youth academy products and players from the TFC 2 farm club for this match.
“It’s an important game in that our guys know it’s a cup. We’re playing a very good team, we’re playing at home and we want to have a good showing and play to win,” Vanney stated.
“We’ll put out a team that gives us a chance to be successful. I don’t know if it’s the most important game of our season, but I would say it’s something we would like to win and we’re going to take it seriously.”
It was a sentiment echoed by Toronto defender Eriq Zavaleta.
“I’m excited. It’s another chance to win a trophy at home. … At this point in the [MLS] season, given the way the year has gone, just to be able to win a trophy is exciting for us,” Zavaleta said.
If TFC wins the Campeones Cup, it would be the club’s fifth title over the past 15 months, having won the last two Canadian Championships, and the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup in 2017.
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