If there’s any silver lining at all to the schedule upheaval and uncertainty caused by the pandemic, it’ll be enjoyed by the four (or five) MLS teams competing in the 2021 Concacaf Champions League.
The regional tournament will kick off in early April this year rather than February, giving American and Canadian clubs a chance to develop some fitness and chemistry before being thrust into international competition. Concacaf made the announcement Friday afternoon. In the past, the CCL (or its knockout rounds) kicked off in mid-to-late February, which was well before MLS teams began their seasons but typically more than a month into the Liga MX and Central American campaigns.