[R] 2003 Champions Cup--Central American Qualifying

[Preston North End]

Here is my very unscientific ranking of the top 16 clubs in UNCAF.

Feel free to rip it apart, since I haven't seen a club game from Central America in about six months. Input from others is more than welcome.

1. Alajuelense - CRC
2. Herediano - CRC
3. Plantense - HON
4. Municipal - GUA
5. Real Espana - HON
6. Comunicaciones - GUA
7. Cartagines - CRC
8. CD Saprissa - CRC
9. Motagua - HON
10. Olimpia - HON
11. Coban Imperial - GUA
12. Marathon - HON
13. Santa Barbara - CRC
14. Arabe Unido - PAN
15. CD Fas - ELS
16. Municipal Limeno - ELS

Based on seeing games (in person and on TV) involving clubs from UNCAF in the past, here is how I rate each country at the club level.

1. Costa Rica
2. Honduras
3. Guatemala
4. El Salvador
5. Panama
6. Belize
7. Nicaragua

Again, input from others is wanted and expected.

[SparkeyG]

Since CBus won the USOC, the four teams representing the USA are

LA Galaxy
San Jose Earthquakes
New England Revolution
Columbus Crew

[Tick]

How nice of them to set the rules so far in advance... dorks.

Obviously, none of this applies next year until all the non-MLS teams are eliminated from the USOC. If the Rhinos win again (like in 99), they'll be frozen out of continental tournaments, of course.

[Rev-eler]

Originally posted by Tick
How nice of them to set the rules so far in advance... dorks.

Obviously, none of this applies next year until all the non-MLS teams are eliminated from the USOC. If the Rhinos win again (like in 99), they'll be frozen out of continental tournaments, of course.

right.

in general though, one would hope the ussf is going to keep this practice in place:

1. mls cup winner
2. mls cup runner-up
3. supporters shield
4. usoc winner

i don't think giving a-league teams more opp's to get into ccc is very attractive to anyone...except a-league fans. if rhinos won the usoc, could they even afford to travel to el salv, guat, jamaica?

esp if concacaf decides to move away from the single home-n-away series and moves towards the preferable 4 team in 4 groups format....meaning every team has to travel a mimimum of 3x in the first round.

[sidspaceman]

For the first time in more than five months CSD Municipal tasted defeat - and as a result are on the verge of elimination in the Group B quadrangular of Central American qualifying in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Playing at home at Estadio Mateo Flores in Guatemala, 10-man Municipal saw Santos de Guapiles FC of Costa Rica score the match-winner deep into stoppage time for a 2:1 victory. Combined with a comprehensive 6:0 victory by Guatemalan arch-rival CSD Comunicaciones against FC San Marcos of Nicaragua, Municipal must defeat Comunicaciones on Sunday's final day to advance.

http://www.concacaf.com/news/article.page/1034

[PSUdude]

What, they couldn't try the "MLS cup winner from 3 years ago" to try and get DC into the CCC????

[DigitalTron]

Originally posted by PSUdude
What, they couldn't try the "MLS cup winner from 3 years ago" to try and get DC into the CCC???? Hahaha. Yeah, the attendance thing that got DC into one of them I always thought was super-cheesy. Then I saw serious considerations to doing the same thing by the MFL. I still disagreed with it then and do now, but at least it doesn't seem quite as cheesy now. All of the other reasons that got DC United in were totally legitmate though.

I'm happy to see some new teams, like Columbus and New England, get into international competition. I think that will help energize their markets.

Of course, I'd like DC United to actually qualify for at least one of those honors next season as well. Every year a bottom-feeder team jumps to near the top of the heap. With Bradley at the helm, it could be Metros. Now that Hudson is allowed to put his stamp on the team, I think it might be United. Who knows, maybe it'll be both. ;)

-Tron

[SwissGCZ]

so far...

USA
LA Galaxy
NE Revolution
Columbus Crew
SJ Earthquakes

Central America
Deportivo Arabe Unido (Panama)
CD F.A.S. (El Salvador)

[The Truth Commission]

Any reports from Central Zone Group B???

It only takes concacaf.com a week to put results up, it seems...and that's when the site is working...

[sidspaceman]

CSD Municipal rolled to victory against arch-rival CSD Comunicaciones, but in the end both Guatemalan clubs advanced to the first round proper of the CONCACAF Champions Cup after completing play in Group B of Central Zone qualifying.
Municipal came into the match having to win, and they did just that, recording a 4:1 victory against Comunicaciones. That left Santos de Guapiles FC needing a big score against FC San Marcos of Nicaragua to advance, but the Costa Rican side managed just a 2:0 victory. more...

http://www.concacaf.com/news/article.page/1047

[SwissGCZ]

update...

USA
LA Galaxy
NE Revolution
Columbus Crew
SJ Earthquakes

Central America
Deportivo Arabe Unido (Panama)
CD F.A.S. (El Salvador)
CSD Municipal (Guatemala)
CSD Comunicaciones (Guatemala)

[SparkeyG]

Any update on Caribbian Group B qualifiers? All those games should be completed by this point.
<grumbling about concacaf.com being slow and outdated>

[Jeremy Goodwin]

Originally posted by SparkeyG
Any update on Caribbian Group B qualifiers? All those games should be completed by this point.
<grumbling about concacaf.com being slow and outdated> US Robert drew with St Joseph 1-1 and advanced 6-1 on aggregate.

I'm not seeing anything on Harbour View FC and George Town SC. You might try a paper in Jamaica. I already searched on Googlenews.

Here's a paper in the caymans that has previously had news on George Town SC.

http://www.caymannetnews.com/

[JG]

Harbour View won 3-0 away and 7-1 at home to advance.

[Preston North End]

Originally posted by SwissGCZ
update...

USA
LA Galaxy
NE Revolution
Columbus Crew
SJ Earthquakes

Central America
Deportivo Arabe Unido (Panama)
CD F.A.S. (El Salvador)
CSD Municipal (Guatemala)
CSD Comunicaciones (Guatemala)

Any speculation or confirmation as to which Mexican clubs will get in?

1. Pachuca as holders.
2. America as Summer 2002 Champion.
3. Winter 2002 Champion.
4. Fourth entrant. I would like to see the club with the best record that doesn't win the Winter 2002 phase (other than Pachuca or America) get the fourth spot.

I think Arnett Gardens will win Group A in the Caribbean zone and Williams Connection or Harbour View will take Group B.

Alajuela should take Group 3 in UNCAF with either Motagua or Marathon finishing 2nd.

[Tick]

Originally posted by Rev-eler


right.

in general though, one would hope the ussf is going to keep this practice in place:

1. mls cup winner
2. mls cup runner-up
3. supporters shield
4. usoc winner

i don't think giving a-league teams more opp's to get into ccc is very attractive to anyone...except a-league fans. if rhinos won the usoc, could they even afford to travel to el salv, guat, jamaica?

esp if concacaf decides to move away from the single home-n-away series and moves towards the preferable 4 team in 4 groups format....meaning every team has to travel a mimimum of 3x in the first round.

I agree that A League teams should only get to continental tournaments by winning the USOC. I just hate that when the Rhinos actually did win it, they weren't invited.

I'm guessing the Rhinos would be able to afford it. As far as I know, they're the only pro soccer team in the US that makes money, including all MLS teams (not sure about Columbus, and maybe some PDL or D3 teams like Wichita are making money now). I'm sure they would sell out the home game, and would probably make enough from that to pay for the away trip.

[sidspaceman]

LD Alajuelense of Costa Rica and CD Motagua of Honduras booked their tickets for the 2003 CONCACAF Champions Cup after winning their second consecutive matches Friday in the Group C quadrangular of Central Zone qualifying.
Alajuelense suffered through an agonizing 3:2 victory against Tauro FC, while Motagua, last year's Liga Nacional champion in Honduras, regained a measure of revenge by eliminating defending champion CD Marathon with a 2:1 victory.

http://www.concacaf.com/news/article.page/1064

[sidspaceman]

Honduras/.-Marathón de Honduras goleó 4-0 al Tauro de Panamá, en un partido de trámite, pues ambos equipos estaban eliminados del torneo de Campeones y Subcampeones de la Concacaf en la cuadrangular del Grupo III de la Unión Centroamericana de Fútbol (UNCAF).'

El Marathón estaba eliminado al perder 1-2 ante Liga Deportiva Alajuelense de Costa Rica y luego ante el Motagua de Honduras por el mismo marcador; y Tauro también estaba descalificado al perder 1-2 ante Motagua y 2-3 ante Alajuelense.

http://www.prensalibre.com/app/pls/prensa/detnoticia.jsp?p_cnoticia=40032&p_fedicion=04-11-02

[sidspaceman]

LD Alajuelense and CD Motagua drew 2:2, while CD Marathon regained a measure of respect with a 4:0 defeat of Panama's Tauro FC, to close out the Group C quadrangular in Central Zone qualifying for the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Both LDA and Motagua had already qualified for the first round proper of the Champions Cup after each won their first two matches in the group, the Costa Rican champion taking top place in the four-team group after the draw on goal difference.

http://www.concacaf.com/news/article.page/1070

[monster]

So we have in:

USA
LA Galaxy
NE Revolution
Columbus Crew
SJ Earthquakes

Central America
Deportivo Arabe Unido (Panama)
CD F.A.S. (El Salvador)
CSD Municipal (Guatemala)
CSD Comunicaciones (Guatemala)
LD Alajuelense (Costa Rica)
CD Motagua (Honduras)

Carribean final rounds in December:

Group A (Jamaica hostin): Arnett Gardens FC (Jamaica), Violette AC (Haiti), VSADC (St. Lucia) and Club Franciscain (Martinique).

Group B (T&T hosting): W Connection FC (T&T), FICA (Haiti), US Robert (Martinique) and Harbor View FC (Jamaica).

Any news on Mexico?