CONCACAF CHAMPIONS CUP
Messi, Valdés, Rondón in Concachampions Last 16 Best XI
CONCACAF revealed the star performers in the Champions League Round of 16 - as expected, the MLS and Liga MX contributed the most players.
The CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 reached its conclusion this week, and after the intensity that the eight matches left to define the next stage of the tournament, the names of those stood out for their individual performances have been revealed. Tournament organizers CONCACAF selected the 11 best performers from the 16 surviving teams, to form an ideal lineup for the round.
CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter finals
- Club América vs New England Revolution
- Club América vs New England Revolution
- Monterrey vs Inter Miami
- Pachuca vs Herediano
Concacaf Champions Cup Best Xl by league
Breaking down the Best XI in terms of their teams, four belonging to the Liga MX, three from Major League Soccer and only one from the Costa Rican Primera División (FPD). The majority are from Mexican and North American teams. Among them are some familiar faces - Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez have both been outstanding for Inter Miami, each finding the target in both of the team’s Last 16 tie against Nashville.
The best lineup during this stage of the Concachampions was distributed as follows: three players from the New England Revolution, two from Inter Miami, two from Pachuca, another two from Monterrey, and finally, one from both Club América and Herediano.
CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 Best XI
- Goalkeeper: Esteban Andrada
- Defenders: Miguel Rodríguez, Jonathan Mensah and Gestel Montes
- Midfielders: Luis Romo, Esmir Bajraktarevic, Tomás Chancalay and Diego Valdés
- Forwards: Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Salomón Rondón
Looking ahead to the next round, all four Mexican teams have the possibility of advancing to the semi-finals - however, doing so will be far from easy. Tigres will face MLS Cup title holders Columbus Crew, while Rayados take on an Inter Miami side packed with experienced stars. América will have to overcome the underrated New England Revolution and Pachuca will take on Herediano - the team that eliminated Toluca on away goals in the opening round.
There has been no official confirmation just yet on when the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-finals will take place, but it is assumed that the games will be played a week apart with Tuesday 2 April and Tuesday 9 April the most likely dates for the games to take place.
For now, the tournament will be put on the back burner to accommodate the FIFA International window which runs from 18-26 March. Many of the international players still involved in the CONCACAF Champions Cup will be joining up with their respective national teams for friendlies or other competitions such as the Nations League.