Planet Fútbol Podcast: Big-picture implications of Montreal's CCL run

The Montreal Impact came awfully close to making history Wednesday night but ultimately fell short of winning the CONCACAF Champions League title, falling at a sold-out Stade Olympique to Club America.

What are the bigger-picture implications of another MLS failure on CONCACAF' biggest stage? How important, really, is the CCL and the FIFA Club World Cup to MLS and U.S. Soccer? What do MLS and its teams need to do in order to compete consistently for the region's top club prize? SI's Grant Wahl, Brian Straus and Avi Creditor delve into the details and take a broader look after a thrilling run from Montreal in the latest Planet Fútbol Podcast.

• WHAT IF THEY MET? Prolific teams at their peaks who never played

Listen to the latest edition of our podcast below:

GALLERY: U.S. Soccer uniforms through the years

U.S. Soccer uniforms through the years

1990 (Home)

Bob Thomas/Getty Images

Paul Caligiuri

1992-94 (Home)

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Jeff Agoos

1992-94 (Away)

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Cobi Jones

1993 (Third)

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Dominic Kinnear

1994-95 (Home)

Lois Bernstein/AP

Alexi Lalas

1994-95 (Away)

Chris Cole/Getty Images

Alexi Lalas

1995-98 (Home)

David E. Klutho for Sports Illustrated

John Harkes

1995-98 (Away)

Mike Powell/Getty Images

Eric Wynalda

1995-98 (Third)

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

John Harkes

1998-2000 (Home)

Simon Bruty for Sports Illustrated

Eric Wynalda

1998-2000 (Away)

Laurent Rebours/AP

Claudio Reyna

2000-02 (Home)

Simon Bruty for Sports Illustrated

Earnie Stewart

2000-02 (Away)

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Landon Donovan

2002-04 (Home)

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Brian McBride

2002-04 (Away)

Simon Bruty for Sports Illustrated

Landon Donovan

2003 (Third)

Scott Bales/Icon SMI

Cory Gibbs

2004-06 (Home)

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Landon Donovan

2004-06 (Away)

Simon Bruty for Sports Illustrated

Clint Dempsey

2004 (Third)

Scott Bales/Icon SMI

Clint Dempsey

2004-06 (Home)

Simon Bruty for Sports Illustrated

Eddie Johnson

2004-06 (Away)

Jamie McDonald/Getty Images

Josh Wolff

2006 (Third)

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Eddie Johnson

2007 (Third)

Mike Carlson/AP

Landon Donovan

2008-10 (Home)

Simon Bruty for Sports Illustrated

Jozy Altidore

2008-10 (Away)

Simon Bruty for Sports Illustrated

Sacha Kljestan

2010-12 (Home)

Simon Bruty for Sports Illustrated

Landon Donovan

2010-12 (Away)

Simon Bruty for Sports Illustrated

Jozy Altidore

2011 (Third)

Tony Quinn/Icon SMI

Brek Shea

2012-14 (Home)

Simon Bruty for Sports Illustrated

Michael Bradley

2012-14 (Away)

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Clint Dempsey

2013 (Third)

Simon Bruty for Sports Illustrated

Clint Dempsey

2014-16 (Home)

Stuart Franklin/FIFA via Getty Images

Jermaine Jones

2014 (Away)

Michael Steele/Getty Images

Clint Dempsey

2015 (Away)

Lars Ronbog/FrontZoneSport via Getty Images

Fabian Johnson

2016

Courtesy of Nike

Tim Howard, Matt Miazga, Clint Dempsey and Jordan Morris

2017

Courtesy of U.S. Soccer

Christian Pulisic, Jordan Morris, Alejandro Bedoya, Bobby Wood, Crystal Dunn, Carli Lloyd, Allie Long, Tobin Heath.

2017

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Dom Dwyer