Columbus Crew take top spot in latest CONCACAF Club Rankings thanks to Champions Cup run
Lori Schmidt
The Crew have captured the top spot in the latest CONCACAF Club Rankings.
Columbus has made a steady climb, moving up from ninth place after winning last season's MLS Cup to first on the strength of a 5-2 win on aggregate over CF Monterrey in the semifinals of the Champions Cup.
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The Crew (1,254 points) will face Pachuca at Estadio Hidalgo on June 1 in the Champions Cup final. Pachua (1,248) is second in the latest rankings while fellow Liga MX teams Club America (1,239), Monterrey (1,235) and Tigres UANL (1,228) round out the top five.
As a result, Liga MX (9,867) continues to hold first place in league rankings. MLS (9,708) has trimmed that margin from 245 points last month to 159 now.
The other top five leagues are Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras (9,292), Primera División de Costa Rica (9,274), and Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala (9,126).
Under the Confederation's rankings system, clubs receive points based on their play in official domestic league matches, regional cup matches, and in the Champions Cup. For league rankings, international matches alone are considered, with Champions Cup games being worth twice as many points.