An all Liga MX Leagues Cup Semifinals narrows Charlotte FC's Concacaf Champions Cup pathway
- Brian Maurer
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
By Brian Maurer
Last season, Charlotte FC finished 4th in the Eastern Conference with 59 points. They also finished 7th in the Supporters' Shield standings, leaving them just one point shy of qualifying for the Concacaf Champions Cup in 2025. One of the main reasons there were CCC qualifying spots that low in the standings was because of Leagues Cup.
With three MLS teams earning Leagues Cup qualifying spots last season, MLS teams double-qualified, and an additional spot would drop down to the next place in the Supporters' Shield standings.
In 2025, the Philadelphia Union qualified by winning the Supporters' Shield and San Diego FC won the Western Conference for their qualification. Inter Miami won the MLS Cup and an automatic bye into the Round of 16. Because Miami also qualified via their place in the Supporters' Shield standings and making the Leagues Cup final, two additional CCC qualifying spots dropped down the Shield standings to the Vancouver Whitecaps in 5th and LAFC in 6th.
There won't be many, or any, drop down spots available. This means that Charlotte will need to target a major jump in the standings to qualify for the continental competition. At this point the top four teams in the Supporters' Shield standings qualify and if a top team also wins the MLS Cup then the top five would be able to make it because one spot in that scenario would drop.
This means the Crown are at minimum two points off the pace of qualifying for CCC as things stand. Their recent good run have form has tightened the gap and improved the Crown's chances. This also adds an extra layer to the importance of their home matches coming up against Houston and Chicago who are both in and around the spots they need to push for a CCC qualifier.
Charlotte FC's path to giving them a shot at CCC qualification is now almost certainly a third-place minimum finish in the EC, potentially fifth in Supporters' Shield, or winning MLS Cup.
The average third place finish in the East the last five seasons is 58 points with a steady increase from 54 in 2021, to 65 last season. The fifth place finisher in the Supporters' Shield standings the last five years has had on average 57.4 points. If Charlotte can maintain the pace they have been on during their current streak over the last nine games (6-2-1) they would pass these averages and hit around 59 points. This number should also give the Crown homefield advantage in the playoffs and an opportunity to make a run if they can get passed their knockout boogeyman.
The caveat to that is 59 points has left teams on the outside of top five looking in the last two seasons but that number should put them in the mix.
