CONCACAF Champions League proves MLS is gaining on Liga MX - Chicago Tribune

So it's not exactly a paradigm shift, but there are signs that Major League Soccer is catching up to its neighboring league to the south.

The evidence was on display last week, when the New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC advanced to the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals with two-legged victories over Liga MX teams.

The Red bulls defeated Club Tijuana 3-1 to advance 5-1 on aggregate. It's the first time the Red Bulls have made the semifinal round. Toronto, the reigning MLS Cup champion, finished 4-4 on aggregate against Tigres UNAL, advancing on away goals.

It is the first time that two MLS clubs have defeated two Liga MX teams in the same tournament.

"We're not done. It's only the quarterfinals. It feels like a big victory and a big moment," Red Bulls coach Jesse Marsch said after he was reminded that his team was the first to win against a Mexican opponent both at home and away.

"It's big for our club and our league to be able to go through the Mexican champions," Toronto coach Greg Vanney said.

The only disappointing part is that there might have been three MLS teams in the semis, but the Seattle Sounders fell 3-1 on aggregate in their two-legged quarterfinal to Chivas de Guadalajara.

Early next month, Club America (3-1-0) will host the return leg of the series with Toronto FC (2-1-1), while the Red Bulls (3-1-0) host the return leg of the other semifinal against Chivas de Guadalajara (3-0-1).

Of course, the CCL championship could be the best indicator of the strides MLS has made in recent years when it comes to quality.

The rival leagues are certainly getting closer in other ways. MLS and Liga MX recently joined forces on a long-term partnership that will launch later this year when Toronto hosts the champion from Liga MX.

The match, dubbed the Campeones Cup, is set for Sept. 19 in Toronto. The Liga MX opponent will be the winner of July's Campeon de Campeones match between the Apertura champion Tigres and the Clausura champion determined in May.

The last MLS team to win the CONCACAF Champions League was the LA Galaxy 17 years ago. Since then, just two MLS teams have reached the finals. The winner of the event advances to the Club World Cup.

Mexico has dominated the tournament. The last time a Mexican club lost in the final was 2005, when Costa Rica's Saprissa beat the Pumas.