The Columbus Crew opens the 2021 season on Thursday night, but it won’t come against a Major League Soccer opponent or even in the team’s own country. This year, the Black & Gold begin in the campaign in the CONCACAF Champions League against Real Esteli.
If you are unfamiliar with the Champions League, Massive Report has an explanation here, but essentially this is a continental tournament that gives Columbus the opportunity to play the best in the region. Each round — this is the Round of 16 — will be a two-leg, home-and-home series, with the exception of the final, with aggregate goals as the decider on who advances.