MLS' Orlando and Austin spread wings in Champions League action

Major League Soccer's Orlando City and Austin FC will both make their debuts in the 16-club tournament for clubs from North and Central America and the Caribbean. Orlando face a daunting test south of the border in Monterrey, Mexico where they will face seven-times Mexican champions Tigres. Tigres won the competition in 2020, were runners-up three times and their international experience also includes an appearance in the final of South America's Copa Libertadores and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Whereas Tigres were formed 62 years ago, Orlando only joined MLS in 2015 and qualified thanks to their win in the U.S. Open Cup last season - the only trophy in their history. It is a sign of the importance of the challenge for the Florida team that Orlando coach Oscar Pareja rested several regular starters for Saturday's 0-0 draw with FC Cincinnati. "There were a lot of positive things, especially the players that are new with the team and making us better. We are proud," Pareja said.
"Now we will get ready for our travel to represent our city and our club in an international competition on Tuesday. Colombian Pareja has experience against Mexican opposition having worked in Liga MX as coach of Tijuana and also took MLS's FC Dallas to the semi-finals in 2017. Pareja will be well aware of the threat posed by Tigres' veteran French international forward Andre-Pierre Gignac.
The 37-year-old former Marseille striker has 14 career goals in the Champions League including six on the road to the 2020 triumph. Austin will make their first appearance outside of North America when they take on Haitian club Violette AC in Santiago in the Dominican Republic.
The Texan team are only in their third season of play and qualified after reaching the semi-finals of the MLS playoffs. Violette, Caribbean club champions, are also making their first appearance in the competition but they did win the tournament's forerunner, the Champions Cup, in 1984. Austin beat Montreal 1-0 in MLS on Saturday with an 88th minute goal from Maxi Urruti and coach Josh Wolff says he is likely to freshen up his starting line-up for the game which will be played on an artificial surface.
"We'll have to rotate the squad a bit. We're going down there, it's turf, it will be warm and it's a four, five-hour flight," he said, noting the challenge is over two games. "We'll put the best team out there to get the result that we need on the road, knowing that we come back home in a week". MLS champions Los Angeles FC, beaten in the 2020 final by Tigres, have a tough tie on Thursday when they travel to 30-times Costa Rican champions Alajuelense.
Mexican clubs have traditionally dominated the competition with the win for Seattle Sounders last season the first for a non-Liga MX club since the creation of the current format in 2009. Club Leon take on Panama's Tauro, while Atlas travel to San Pedro Sula to face Honduras's Olimpia on Wednesday. On Thursday, Pachuca also travel to Honduras to face Motagua.
The winners of this year's tournament will qualify for the 2024 FIFA Club World Cup where they will have the chance to take on the continental champions from Europe, Asia, South America and Africa. In addition, next year will see the launch of a money-spinning four-team tournament between the top two teams from South America and the best pair from the CONCACAF region, with those clubs likely to be the finalists from this year's Champions League.