UEFA’S wasn’t the only Champions League tournament whose knockout rounds began this week.

Over in North and Central America, the 2022 Concacaf Champions League got under way and in its current format the competition goes straight to the knockout rounds.

It’s a tournament that has long been dominated by Mexican teams. The nation’s clubs have claimed 37 CCL titles between them, which is put into perspective when looking at the next most successful nation, Costa Rica, whose clubs have won six.

This dominance could be upset in 2022 as a number of Major League Soccer sides look strong going into the latest edition of Concacaf’s most prestigious club competition.

The CCL has undergone many changes in format throughout its history in terms of both the paths to qualification and the tournament itself.

It is set to expand in 2023, reverting to a group stage format in the autumn and knockouts the following spring, similar to the Uefa equivalent.

Qualification opportunities for the expanded tournament will continue to include routes via domestic performance and the Leagues Cup (which features MLS and Liga MX teams) plus two new competitions, the Central American Cup and the Caribbean Cup.

The group stages will also be more regional meaning 13 teams from North America, four from Central America, and one Caribbean side will qualify for the knockout rounds.

Visa issues are a regular problem in the Concacaf version of the Champions League, especially when it comes to Central American and Caribbean teams or players entering the United States.

There have been numerous reasons for these problems over the years, ranging from late applications to more recent issues around Covid. These include short-staffed embassies or players having the Sputnik vaccine widely available in Central America but not recognised by the US.

Though it hasn’t been stated as a reason for the increased regionality in the expanded tournament, the geographical separation may prevent these often political issues from arising as regularly as they do currently.

Haitian side Cavaly have already had to withdraw from the competition after finding it impossible to obtain visas to travel to the US to face New England Revolution.

Both clubs did all they could to try to get the first of the two legs played but repeatedly hit a brick wall.

Visa issues also prevented three Santos de Guapiles players from facing New York City FC in Costa Rica on Tuesday night. 

Jamaican striker Javon East, Mexican centre-back Everardo Rubio, and Cuban attacker Luis Paradela were all unable to lay for their team even in the home leg due to work permit problems.

Paradela has also been denied a US work permit for the return leg in the US next week, though Rubio and East look set to play in that game which will take place in Los Angeles as the stadiums used by New York City are not Concacaf-approved.

The whole situation sums up a number of the difficulties teams and players can face in this tournament even before a ball is kicked.

Despite these issues, and the fact they are not playing any games at their home stadium, New York City are considered one of the teams that could end the recent Mexican dominance.

An MLS club hasn’t won the Champions League since LA Galaxy did so in 2000 when it was still known as the Champions Cup. The only other US club to have lifted the trophy were DC United in 1998.

There have been a number of MLS runners-up in recent times, including Canadian sides Montreal Impact (2015) and Toronto FC (2018), and most recently Los Angeles FC in 2020.

MLS sides are looking strong going into this year’s tournament though, especially as Mexico’s habitual winners Club America, Pachuca, and defending champions Monterrey, plus regular finalists and 2020 champions Tigres, haven’t qualified.

New England Revolution already have a bye to the quarter-finals due to Cavaly’s forced withdrawal, but 2021 MLS Western Conference champions Colorado Rapids were stunned by a late goal from Guatemalan side Comunicaciones in their first leg.

Canadian representatives Montreal of MLS and Canadian Premier League side Forge FC both lost their first legs 1-0 to Mexican sides Santos Laguna and Cruz Azul respectively.

Seattle Sounders will be pleased with a clean sheet in their 0-0 draw against Honduran outfit Motagua in San Pedro Sula, and could join New England in the latter rounds.

The biggest hopes are gathering around the 2021 MLS Cup winners from New York. 

It looks like City will retain the services on in-demand striker Taty Castellanos until June, and it was a brace from the Argentine that gave them a first-leg victory against Santos.

They are coached by former Celtic boss Ronny Deila, and the Norwegian believes his side can beat anyone on their day, as they proved in the MLS Cup last year.

“We are so confident that we know that when we are on our best, we can beat them, and beat almost anybody,” he said prior to the first leg, adding: “I feel that everybody in the club is so eager to do something in this tournament.”

There have been suggestions that the Concacaf and Conmebol regions should merge their continental competitions. South America’s version of the Champions League, the Copa Libertadores, has already featured Mexican teams in the past.

But this would likely leave the Central American nations with less representation in the later rounds.

It’s a region of world football that needs support rather than being left behind, and the Concacaf Champions League, even with its issues, remains a stage on which these nations and the clubs from them can make their names known.

The diverse nature of the region and its geography adds to the interest in continental competition, and the quality of these clubs, especially if they are able to play on home soil, cannot be underestimated.

This is why Deila wasn’t, and isn’t, taking New York City’s progress against Santos de Guapiles for granted, despite the high hopes surrounding his team this year. 

It’s also why a 2-0 win in Costa Rica is an early sign they might be a force to be reckoned with.