But that doesn't mean the teams from Central America and the Caribbean are just willing to take the field and hand over a spot in the group stages.
Witness the New England Revolution's 2-1 defeat to Trinidad and Tobago side Joe Public FC in the first leg.
"Anybody who thought it was going to be easy doesn't know anything," Revolution head coach Steve Nicol said.
New England is in the midst of a punishing schedule that sees the team play two games a week for the foreseeable future. The team didn't even bother to stop in Boston after playing Toronto FC on Saturday.
"People have no idea what we've been through with all of the traveling," Nicol said. "No idea."
A difficult task became even more arduous with Steve Ralston's 25th-minute departure. The Revs captain left with back spasms.
"When you play tired, people get injured," Nicol said. "We can't keep losing guys. Eventually, the well is going to run dry."
The punishing travel schedule left the Revs without their usual spunk. Gone were the legs that generally fuel the team in these sorts of contests. Instead, Nicol watched his tired team try to keep up with a fresh Joe Public team with an abundance of raw pace.
"You wouldn't ask a donkey to take on a greyhound in a race," Nicol said.
The Revs backline struggled to keep the Trinidadians in front of them all night, especially in the wide channels. Kerry Baptiste set up both goals in similar fashion: drift out wide and swing a cross into the box for the forwards to finish from short range.
"They were a yard quicker than us all night," Nicol said. "It was difficult for us because it gave them such an advantage."
But that advantage whittled to only one goal once Shalrie Joseph surged into the area and Carlyle Mitchell hauled him down. With away goals a tiebreaker should the series end up even on aggregate, the goal could be crucial. More luck could have seen the Revs snatch a draw despite Joe Public's dominance over the first 70 minutes.
"By the end of the game, you're thinking we're going to get something from the game," Nicol said. "They're waiting and hoping for the final whistle to come."
Nicol lauded his team for its ability to grind out the game ahead of next week's second leg.
"We had an impossible task tonight," Nicol said. "We showed our heart tonight. It had nothing to do with our football."
MICKELSON SAYS OPEN WILL BE STRUGGLE
Despite easy win, Nicol not pleased
Nicol bringing Ralston to Toronto
