CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 11: Atlanta United FC head coach Frank de Boer during the MLS SuperDraft 2019 presented on January 11, 2019, at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Andy Mead/YCJ/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Atlanta United head into the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League against Costa Rican champions, and with the match almost here, we take a look at C.S. Herediano.

Atlanta United open up the 2019 season with a visit to Costa Rica to take on C.S. Herediano to start their inaugural CONCACAF Champions League season on February 21 and will return to host the second leg in Kennesaw State University’s Fifth Third Bank Stadium on February 28.

Although Costa Rican soccer is not a country fans think of to produce top-level teams, the MLS champions will have their hands full if they want to extend their stay against North America’s best teams.

Herediano have established themselves as one of Costa Rica’s traditional powerhouses by winning 27 championships in Costa Rica’s top division, most recently when they took home the trophy in December when they defeated Saprissa 3-2.

And as Atlanta will be making their first appearance in international play in only its third season of existence while Herediano is appearing in their ninth Champions League, it will very much be the inexperienced team in this arena. Both teams may well be looking for their first CCL trophy but it is Herediano that has the experience advantage here.

The Costa Rican club will be trying to replicate their best-ever run in Champions League action from the 2014-15 tournament when they advanced to the semi-finals only to be knocked out by eventual champions América.

Herediano will be forced to make a quick turn around against the MLS champions as they face off against Pérez Zeledón three days before the first leg and once again return to league play against San Carlos before traveling to the states for the second leg. In theory, that should make them not quite as sharp, but given that Atlanta will not have played a competitive game prior to their meeting, the schedule could work against the Five Stripes.

The Costa Rican champions have a squad that is already familiar with Major League Soccer, with players like José Guillermo Ortiz and Keyner Brown both spending time in MLS. And with an attack led by Costa Rica international Yendrick Ruiz, Atlanta cannot afford to look ahead if they want to become the first MLS team to conquer North America.

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Atlanta United head into the match as favorites over the Costa Rican champions, with players like Josef Martinez and newly acquired signing Gonzalo “Pity” Martinez ready to take their already impressive résumés and add a potential CONCACAF trophy.

And with a squad filled with some of the best players MLS has ever seen, supporters of the Five Stripes have reason to believe that their team could break the MLS curse in CCL.

But that does not mean that Atlanta can afford to overlook a quality, more experienced and potentially sharper opponent in Herediano if they have any hope of not only becoming the kings of MLS, but kings of the CONCACAF.