Atlanta United will play for its first MLS title in club history on Saturday as it hosts the Portland Timbers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. But while that’s in front of mind for the team right now, it will be playing in a different competition come February.
Whoever is hired to replace Tata Martino will be tasked with navigating the club through the Concacaf Champions League, which Atlanta qualified for by having the most points out of any MLS team over the past two seasons. The CCL’s been shaken up a bit over the past couple of years; its recent restructuring has not only changed the dates of the competition, but the methods of qualification and the way teams progress through it.