Aside from the championship trophy, champagne celebration, amazing memories and everything else that goes along with winning MLS Cup, Sunday's win also put the Portland Timbers back into international soccer.
As MLS Cup champions, the Timbers will compete in the 2016-17 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League, their second appearance out of five opportunities to qualify. In their first appearance, the 2014-15 edition, Portland were stunningly knocked out in the group stage on head-to-head away goals after losing 3-1 at Honduran club Olimpia in their final group match. Portland had beaten Olimpia 4-2 at home and had a better goal differential in the tournament.
The Timbers join the Supporters' Shield-winning New York Red Bulls, Western Conference regular-season winners FC Dallas, Lamar Hunt US Open Cup champions Sporting Kansas City and Canadian Championship victors Vancouver Whitecaps in next year's Champions League. The format for that tournament has yet to be announced.
Mexican Apertura finalists Pumas and Tigres have also qualified for the 2016-17 edition.
This spring's quarterfinals of the 2015-16 Champions League will feature four MLS teams against four Liga MX teams in what are sure to be intense quarterfinal series. D.C. United (vs. Querétaro) and Real Salt Lake (vs. Tigres) will play the second leg of their quarterfinals at home, while the Seattle Sounders (vs. Club América) and the LA Galaxy (vs. Santos Laguna) will have to play the decisive second leg on the road.
Those series begin Feb. 23-24 and conclude March 1-2.
2016-17 CONCACAF Champions League - MLS qualifiers
- MLS Cup - Portland Timbers
- Supporters' Shield - New York Red Bulls
- Western Conference - FC Dallas
- US Open Cup - Sporting Kansas City
- Canadian Championship - Vancouver Whitecaps
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