Amid proposals to bring the Americas closer together on the soccer scene in recent years, comes another voice looking to bring the region into a singular competition.
San Jose Earthquakes head coach Matias Almeyda told ESPN’s Tom Marshall during a recent interview that he wants to see MLS teams playing in the Copa Libertadores.
“Yes, [MLS teams] should be there because if the Champions [League] is played in all of Europe, then the Copa Libertadores should be played by all of America,” he said. “It would be more complete to have one champion for America, instead of two.”
The Copa Libertadores is the premier regional club competition in South America, considered one of the best competitions in the world. Teams from Mexico have historically been involved in the competition and even come close to winning the title, but schedule issues mean Liga MX teams have not played in the Copa Lib since 2016.
Almeyda, a native of Argentina, won the Copa Libertadores as a player with River Plate in 1996.
In the meantime, MLS teams are gearing up for their own regional competition, the 2019 Concacaf Champions League. Play kicks off on Tuesday, with Toronto FC facing Independiente in Panama and the Houston Dynamo taking on Guastatoya in Guatemala.
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