CONCACAF Champions League Sched

Two-time runner-up Cruz Azul of Mexico will face Panama’s San Francisco in the Preliminary Round of the 2010-2011 CONCACAF Champions League while the Los Angeles Galaxy and Puerto Rico Islanders also will square off when the third edition of the tournament begins in July.

The draw conducted Wednesday by deputy general secretaries Ted Howard and Italo Zanzi at the confederation’s New York headquarters set the Preliminary Round pairings and matchups for the Group Stage.

Other Preliminary Round matches will have the Mexican Clausura runner-up -- either Santos or Toluca -- facing San Juan Jabloteh of Trinidad, Costa Rica’s Brujas facing Joe Public of Trinidad, the Canadian champion – either Toronto FC or the Vancouver Whitecaps – against Motagua of Honduras, and Xelaju of Guatemala against a Central America club.

The Seattle Sounders will face an as yet-to-be determined Central American side in the Preliminary Round, while Marathon – a quarterfinalist this past season – will take on Tauro FC of Panama.

Two berths originally were allocated to El Salvador, but FIFA has suspended the country due to governmental interference in the federation’s affairs. The government has until June 8 to comply with FIFA’s non-intervention requirements or its teams will be barred from international competition, including the Champions League – and its berths will be reassigned.

CD FAS already has qualified with one of El Salvador’s berths, and the second would go to either Aguila or Metapan.

Cruz Azul reached the finals in the first two years of the Champions League, losing to fellow Mexican sides Atlante in 2009 and Pachuca in May. This is the third consecutive season Cruz Azul has been forced into the Preliminary Round and is one of six teams to qualify each year since the Champions League was inaugurated.

In the Group Stage, MLS champion Real Salt Lake will lead Group A with Arabe Unido of Panama, the Cruz Azul-San Francisco winner and the winner between the Canadian champion and Motagua.

Group B will consist of the Columbus Crew, Municipal of Guatemala, the winner between Jabloteh and Toluca/Santos, and either Brujas or Joe Public.

Monterrey will head Group C, potentially the most difficult, with Costa Rica’s Saprissa, the Seattle-Central America 12 winner and either Tauro or Marathon. The Mexican Clausura champ, either Santos or Toluca, will top Group D with Olimpia of Honduras, the Galaxy-Islanders winner and the Central America 11-Xelaju winner.

The tournament will begin July 27-29 with the first leg of the Preliminary Round and the second leg a week later. The winners will advance to the Group Stage, the first round is set for August 17-19.


PRELIMINARY ROUND
(Host of first leg listed first)
Central America 11 vs. Xelaju (GUA)
Brujas (CRC) vs. Joe Public (TRI)
San Juan Jabloteh (TRI) vs. Santos-Toluca (Mexican Clausura runner-up)
San Francisco (PAN) vs. Cruz Azul (MEX)
Los Angeles Galaxy (USA) vs. Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR)
Tauro FC (PAN) vs. Marathon (HON)
Seattle Sounders (USA) vs. Central America 12
Toronto-Vancouver (Canadian champion) vs. Motagua (HON)

GROUP STAGE
Group A
Real Salt Lake (USA)
Arabe Unido (PAN)
San Francisco/Cruz Azul winner
Toronto-Vancouver/Motagua winner

Group B
Columbus Crew (USA)
Municipal (GUA)
San Juan Jabloteh/Santos-Toluca (Mexican Clausura runner-up) winner
Brujas/Joe Public winner

Group C
Monterrey (MEX)
Saprissa (CRC)
Seattle/Central America 12 winner
Tauro/Marathon winner

Group D
Santos/Toluca (Mexican Clausura champion)
Olimpia (HON)
Los Angeles Galaxy/Puerto Rico Islanders winner
Central America 11/Xelaju winner

TOP 5 REASONS TO CHEER FOR TFC IN THE CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

So many fans in Vancouver, upset about the way the Nutrilite Canadian Championships finished up. At the same time, many in Vancouver, Montreal and the rest of the country will have a very difficult time cheering for TFC in the CONCACAF Champions League. I'm not saying you have to, but here are 5 reasons why it might be a good idea to actually support Toronto FC in Champions League play.

1) like all the Canadian teams, having Canadian players playing in hostile and strange environments is only going to a good thing for the Canadian National team. It would have been good if it was Vancouver, Montreal or Toronto. It will give Dwayne De Rosario a chance to lead the team for all of Canada. It will give a young Canadian, Nana Attakora the chance to shine on a bigger stage and put pressure on Adrian Serioux, giving him a chance to shine also. Providing all of them a chance to see the games played at different levels and different styles. Valuable down the road in a Canada match.

2) Toronto is the centre of media in Canada, and more coverage of soccer in this country is a good thing. If that can only be achieved by the team from Toronto going, then so be it. More coverage means that more people may get interested in the game and follow it on a national level. Springing up more teams around the country will better Canada's hold on the game.

3) The Toronto Blue Jays won the World Series in the early 90's. The benefits of those teams winning are showing up now. Jason Bay, Justin Morneau and Jeff Francis, to name just a few, all young and great baseball players that watched the Blues Jays win the World Series and then got them even more interested in playing baseball at a high level. Those benefits will be felt by all Canadians. Sure it was Toronto that won, but those three players are all from BC. The game can build beyond just Ontario.

4) Rivalry. With the way Toronto won this tournament, it's going to make Montreal want to beat Toronto next year, to show they aren't pushovers. Vancouver is going to want to prove again that they can beat Toronto as they will be heading into the MLS the following season. It will also provide the Whitecaps with desire to go out and destroy Montreal next time around. If Toronto does well, and Canada cheers them on, teams in Montreal and Vancouver will want to achieve similiar success.

5) Right now, Canada doesn't have a full spot into the CONCACAF Champions League, they compete with one another for the right to represent Canada, then have to play another club team for the right to play in the group stage. Montreal did a fabulous job going deep into the tournament. If TFC can do the same (I feel they have a better chance of winning than Vancouver would have had), it is only going to benefit Canada in receiving an automatic spot into the group stages. Down the road Canadians can think about a 2nd spot, right now, they need to focus on performing well enough to get an automatic spot.

CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PRELIMINARY ROUND SCHEDULE...

NEW YORK (Tuesday, June 23, 2009) – With the qualification of the last of the 24 teams in the CONCACAF Champions League, the definitive schedule for the Preliminary Round has been determined.

The first of 78 games in the 2009-2010 Champions League will start with D.C. United at home against Chalatenango of El Salvador on Tuesday, July 28. The Preliminary Round will finish with the second leg between Real Espana of Honduras at home against Liberia of Costa Rica on Thursday, August 6.

With Toronto FC’s 6-1 victory over the Montreal Impact on Thursday in the final game of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship, the Major League Soccer side claimed its first berth in the Champions League and will open at home against the Puerto Rico Islanders on Wednesday, July 29. Puerto Rico will host the second leg on Tuesday, August. 4.

The eight winners of the Preliminary Round will advance to the Group Stage, which will begin the week of August 18-20.

PRELIMINARY ROUND SCHEDULE
Times local (USA Eastern in parentheses); home teams listed first

FIRST LEG
Tuesday, July 28
D.C. United (USA) vs. Chalatenango (SLV), 8 p.m. (8 p.m.)
Pachuca (MEX) vs. Jalapa (GUA), 9 p.m. (10 p.m.)

Wednesday, July 29
Toronto FC (CAN) vs. Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR), 8 p.m. (8 p.m.)
San Francisco (PAN) vs. San Juan Jabloteh (TRI), 7 p.m. (8 p.m.)
Liberia (CRC) vs. Real Espana (HON), 8 p.m. (10 p.m.)

Thursday, July 30
W Connection (TRI) vs. New York Red Bulls (USA), 8 p.m. (8 p.m.)
Herediano (CRC) vs. Cruz Azul (MEX), 8 p.m. (10 p.m.)
Olimpia (HON) vs. Arabe Unido (PAN), 8 p.m. (10 p.m.)


SECOND LEG
Tuesday, August 4
Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR) vs. Toronto 8 p.m. (CAN), (8 p.m.)
Jalapa (GUA) vs. Pachuca (MEX), 8 p.m. (10 p.m.)
Chalatenango (SLV) vs. D.C. United (USA), 8 p.m. (10 p.m.)
Wednesday, August 5
New York Red Bulls (USA) vs. W Connection (TRI), 8 p.m. (8 p.m.)
Cruz Azul (MEX) vs. Herdiano (CRC), 7 p.m. (8 p.m.)

Thursday, August 6
Arabe Unido (PAN) vs. Olimpia (HON), 7 p.m. (8 p.m.)
San Juan Jabloteh (TRI) vs. San Francisco (PAN), 8 p.m. (8 p.m.)
Real Espana (HON) vs. Liberia (CRC), 8 p.m. (10 p.m.)

Montreal Impact Preview

The Montreal Impact had a disappointing end to the 2008 season losing to the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Semi-Finals of the USL-1 playoffs, but a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League has made up for that. It has also provided the Impact with the opportunity to be fit and in form earlier than normal, having played CONCACAF Champions League games early in 2009. The addition of Eduardo Sebrango from the Whitecaps, the league’s 3rd ranked goal-scorer in 2008, will surely help Montreal make an impact in 2009. “He’s a great teammate,” says Montreal’s Joey Gjertsen. “I think everyone can expect big things from Sebrango.” The Impact has a lot of positives this season with a very strong defense and potent offense, something that isn’t lost on Gjertsen: “We have a solid defense and have been scoring in bunches in pre-season, so things look good.”

Montreal’s biggest concern may in fact be burn-out. Pre-season training in Italy, followed by CONCACAF Champions League play prior to the start of the season, could weigh heavily on the squad as the season progresses. Despite the potential fatigue factor, the Montreal Impact will compete for the USL-1 regular season title with a long playoff run in their future. If the Impact can put it all together, Montreal will be a strong candidate for 2009 USL-1 Champions.

Next Preview: Vancouver Whitecaps FC

-TG

Canada goes down to Costa Rica

Canada lost 2 - 1 to Costa Rica and are now out of the U-20 CONCACAF Tournament and won't be heading for Egypt. Things certainly improved from the last time around and the play of Randy Edwini-Bonsu has to have the Whitecaps excited that they may have a goalscoer to replace Eduardo Sebrango.

Next up, the Canadian women take on England tomorrow for the Cyprus Cup. Hopefully the ladies can win and Christine Sinclair picks up 2 more goals to reach 100. How cool would it be if the game winner was her 100th?

Montreal kicks off it's defence against Toronto

Montreal's Rue Frontenac has published what they believe to be the schedule for the upcoming Canadian portion of the CONCACAF Champions League.

I don't actually speak more than 25 words of french... but I'm pretty sure it looks like this:

May 13 - Montreal @ TFC
May 20 - Vancouver @ Montreal
May 27 - Montreal @ Vancouver
June 17 - TFC @ Montreal

Obviously, the games that are missing are the Whitecaps games against Toronto FC. Those will be released on Tuesday, but I'm working on getting the rest of the schedule for you today, but likely to be held on June 3rd and 10th.