Despite losing to Portland 1-0 last Sunday, results elsewhere ensured the Colorado Rapids’ inclusion in the 2017 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League. This marks only the third time the Rapids have qualified for the competition with the previous two ventures coming in 1998 and 2011.
Colorado joins FC Dallas (U.S. Open Cup champion) and Toronto FC (Canadian Championship winner) as the only teams to have qualified for the tournament so far, but what exactly does this mean for the Rapids going in to the 2017 season?
Next year’s tournament will be the 53rd installment and the 10th year since switching from the Champions Cup to the Champions League.