The Concacaf Champions League has adopted a new tiebreaking rule starting with the 2023 edition, changing how a drawn aggregate score is resolved across two legs.
The tournament kicks off with the round of 16, featuring 16 clubs from Central America, North America, and the Caribbean. These teams aim to advance to the knockout stage and secure a spot among the eight best in the region, where prestige and qualification implications for regional competitions are on the line.
Seattle Sounders hold the distinction of being the defending champions after a comprehensive aggregate victory over UNAM in the prior edition, a result that energized fans across North America. Ahead of this edition, Mexican clubs such as Atlas, León, Pachuca, and Tigres are again viewed as strong contenders, carrying a legacy of regional dominance that stretches back many years and fueling high expectations for a renewed run at the title.
The 2023 edition features a clear shift in how ties are resolved, since away goals will no longer count for twice as much as goals scored at home. This change aligns with a broader move in world football to simplify tie-break rules and ensure that matches are decided by play during regulation time, extra periods, or penalties rather than goal differentials from away venues.
Within this context, GOAL explains the rationale behind removing the away goals advantage and outlines the updated method used to determine the winner in every series, ensuring fans understand what to expect in the event of a tied result after regulation time.
WHY THE AWAY GOAL DOES NOT COUNT DOUBLE IN THE 2023 CONCACAF CHAMPIONS?
The global governing body of football, FIFA, pushed to standardize and modernize scoring criteria across affiliated leagues. As a result, the away goals rule was gradually phased out in many competitions around the world. The shift began to take hold in major tournaments and was first prominently seen in the UEFA Champions League during the 2021/2022 season, setting a precedent for official competitions that fall under FIFA rules to reexamine historical tie-break practices.
WHAT ARE THE NEW TIEBREAKER CRITERIA IN THE 2023 CONCACAF CHAMPIONS?
In the event of a tie after 120 minutes of regular play in a two-legged matchup, the contest proceeds to two additional periods of 15 minutes each. If the teams remain level after these extra periods, the winner is decided by a penalty shootout. This sequence ensures that the result is decided on the field or through a standardized penalty procedure rather than using away goals as a decider.
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