[R] 2003 Champions Cup--Central American Qualifying

[sidspaceman]

The road to the 2003 CONCACAF Champions Cup gets underway next month when the first of three qualifying round-robins kicks off qualifying in the Central American Zone.
In all, 12 teams will be divided into three groups of four, each group playing a quadrangular. The top two in each group will advance to the Champions Cup proper, with the first round (round-of-16) beginning in early 2003.

The first of the quadrangulars will be held 9-13 October in El Salvador, the second in Guatemala from 23-27 October, and the third in Honduras from 30 October – 3 November.

http://concacaf.com/news/article.page/969

[JG]

Group 1 in San Salvador started Wednesday:

Alianza (ELS) 4-1 Jalapa (NIC)
FAS (ELS) 0-2 Arabe Unido (PAN)

Arabe Unido wins with two injury-time goals.

Top two will advance to the Champions Cup round of 16 next year.

[sidspaceman]

Jugando el mejor partido en todo el segundo semestre del año, Alianza logró sacar la cara para derrotar al Arabe Unido de Panamá, amarrando virtualmente la clasificación.


http://www.elsalvador.com/deportes/2002/10/12/depor11.shtml

[sidspaceman]

Los tigrillos del FAS tendrán tres bajas para el resto de la Copa de Campeones de la ex CONCACAF y para las próximas fechas del Torneo Apertura. El director técnico, Alberto Castillo, aseguró que están obligados a acomodar las piezas


http://www.elsalvador.com/deportes/2002/10/11/depor6.shtml

[JG]

Day 2:

Alianze 1-0 Arabe Unido
FAS 17-0 Jalapa

17 goals is a champions cup record.

[lond2345]

theres a qualification round for this sorry excuse for a tournament??

[sidspaceman]

CD F.A.S. of El Salvador recorded the heaviest-ever defeat in CONCACAF Champions Cup history, defeating FC Deportivo Jalapa of Nicaragua 17:0 on the second day of play in Group A of Central Zone qualifying in San Salvador.
Salvadoran rival Alianza FC all but clinched their place in the first round proper of the Champions Cup with a 1:0 victory against Deportivo Arabe Unido of Panama.

F.A.S. rebounded from an opening-night defeat for their victory, the largest in the annals of the 41-year-old competition. The previous known victory was a 13:0 victory by Caledonia AIA of Trinidad & Tobago against Chelsea FC (St. Vincent & Grenadines) in 1998. The 13 goals were also matched in a 13:1 victory in 1977 by CSD Municipal of Guatemala against another Nicaraguan club, Diriangen FC.

http://www.concacaf.com/news/article.page/998

[JG]

Arabe Unido 19-0 Jalapa
FAS 2-1 Alianza

Arabe Unido and FAS advance on goal differential.

I know Nicaraguan teams are weak, but 36 goals in 2 games?

[sidspaceman]

14.10.02 - Deportivo Arabe Unido of Panama and CD F.A.S. of El Salvador advanced to the first round proper of the 2003 CONCACAF Champions Cup after posting victories, albeit in completely different fashions, on the final day of Central Zone Group A qualifying in San Salvador Sunday.
In the first game of the afternoon, Arabe Unido raced out to a 9:0 halftime lead over Deportivo Jalapa, eventually handing the Nicaraguans a Champions Cup record 19:0 defeat to clinch the first berth, while F.A.S scored two goals in the final 20 minutes of their match against Salvadoran rivals Alianza FC to steal the second spot available.

The 19-goal difference for Arabe Unido surpasses the 17:0 victory over Jalapa by F.A.S in Friday’s second day of matches and establishes the new benchmark in the Champions Cup.

http://www.concacaf.com/news/article.page/999

[sidspaceman]

Originally posted by JG
Arabe Unido 19-0 Jalapa
FAS 2-1 Alianza

Arabe Unido and FAS advance on goal differential.

I know Nicaraguan teams are weak, but 36 goals in 2 games?

Warner and Blazer should be more worried about the state of futbol in the TFC than telling the CSF how to run their competations.

[sidspaceman]

NEW YORK -- Deportivo Arabe Unido posted a record win when the Panama side crushed FC Deportivo Jalapa of Nicaragua 19-0 to advance to the first round proper of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) confirmed on Tuesday that the lopsided victory was the largest ever recorded in official international club competition.

According to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, the score eclipses the previous best of 18-0 by Suwon Bluewings of South Korea against Saunders SC of Sri Lanka in last year's Asian Cup Winners' Cup.

http://espn.go.com/soccer/news/2002/1015/1446477.html

[sidspaceman]

The preliminary round of Caribbean Zone qualifying for the 2003 CONCACAF Champions Cup will begin Thursday 17 October as George Town SC (Cayman Islands) hosts Harbour View FC (Jamaica) at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex. The return leg of the series will be played on 27 October at Harbour View Stadium in Kingston.
The second preliminary round Caribbean Zone series, pitting US du Robert of Martinique and Beacon Insurance of Grenada, will be played on 23 and 25 October at Georges Spitz Stadium in Martinique.

http://www.concacaf.com/news/article.page/1006

[Eric B]

Originally posted by lond2345
theres a qualification round for this sorry excuse for a tournament??

Hi Don!

[sidspaceman]

Visitors Harbour View FC scored two first-half goals and cruised to a 3:0 victory over George Town SC in the first match of their 2003 Champions Cup Caribbean Zone preliminary round series at the Truman Bodden Sporting Complex Thursday. The victory gives the Jamaican side a comfortable advantage heading to the return leg on 27 October in Kingston.

http://www.concacaf.com/news/article.page/1009

[Jeremy Goodwin]

So, to recap, our sixteen teams are based on the following:


Four teams from Mexico, selected by their federation on a defensible competitive basis.

Most likely: The winner (or runner up) of their clausura 2002 playoffs, and the three previous playoff winners (Santos, Pachuca and America). Or, the winner and runner-up of their 2001/2002 seasonal playoffs (Pachuca, Tigres, America, and Necaxa)


Four teams from the United States, selected by their federation on a defensible competitive basis.

Most likely: Four teams from the winners and runners-up of the MLS Cup, Supporters' Shield and US Open Cup for 2002 (Los Angeles, San Jose, Columbus, New England)


Two Teams from the Carribean.

Carribean qualifying has two groups of four teams, the top team in each group will qualify:

Group A:
Arnett Gardens FC (Jamaica)
Violette AC (Haiti)
VSADC (St. Jucia)
Club Franciscain (Martinique)

Group B:
W Connection FC (Trinidad & Tobago)
FICA (Haiti)

Remainder of Group B to be filled with teams playing off in two game series:
Winner of George Town FC (Cayman Islands) v. Harbour View FC (Jamaica)
Winner of US Robert (Martinique) v. St. Joseph (Dominica)


Six teams from Central America.

Teams from Belize have been suspended since they withdrew from their national federation.

Central American qualifying has three groups of four teams remaining, the top two teams in each group will qualify:

Group 1:
CD F.A.S. (champion El Salvador Liga Mayor 2001/2002)
Alianza FC (runner up El Salvador Liga Mayor 2001/2002)
FC Deportivo Jalapa (champion Nicaragua Campeonato Nacional 2001/2002)
Deportivo Arabe Unido (champion Panama ANAPROF 2001/2002)

Group 2:
Santos de Guapiles FC (runner up Costa Rica Primera Division 2001/2002)
CSD Municipal (champion Guatemala Primera Division 2001/2002)
CSD Comunicaciones (runner up Guatemala Primera Division 2001/2002)
FC San Marcos (semifinalist losing to the runner up of the Nicaragua Campeonato Nacional 2001/2002, the runner up is suspended for abandoning the 1999 champions cup).

Group 3:
LD Alajuelense (champion Costa Rica Primera Division 2001/2002)
CD Marathon (winner Honduras Torneo Apertura in Liga Nacional 2001/2002)
CD Motagua (winner Honduras Torneo Clausura in Liga Nacional 2001/2002)
Fauro FC (runner up Panama ANAPROF 2000/2001 in lieu of CD Plaza Amador, runner up 2001/2002, which is suspended, and Panama Viejo FC ANAPROF champion 2000/2001, which disbanded this year)

[Mr Fish]

From today's USSF Release:

http://www.ussoccer.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=23438&itype=

The U.S Open Cup final between the Los Angeles Galaxy and the host Columbus Crew will be played this Thursday at Crew Stadium, marking a last-ditch in 2002 for the Crew to not only claim their first domestic championship, but also a place in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

...

In addition to the automatic berth for the winner of Thursday’s 2002 U.S. Open Cup final, three other Champions Cup positions will go to the winner of the 2002 MLS Cup, the 2002 MLS Cup runner-up and the winner of the 2002 Supporters’ Shield in MLS. With the Open Cup finalist Los Angeles Galaxy already earning a spot as both the champions of MLS Cup and the Supporters’ Shield, the San Jose Earthquakes will take their place as one of the four U.S. representatives in the tournament as the team with the second most points in the MLS regular season.

Should Los Angeles also qualify for the tournament via a third route as 2002 U.S. Open Cup champions, the fourth U.S. position will fall to the Dallas Burn (who had the third highest point total in MLS). The upstart New England Revolution qualified with their late run to the 2002 MLS Cup final, where they fell to L.A. 1-0 in sudden death overtime on Sunday.

So, the four US clubs will be:
LA Galaxy
San Jose Earthquakes
New England Revolution
Columbus (If they win the USOC) OR Dallas (If LA wins the USOC)

[lond2345]

"Should Los Angeles also qualify for the tournament via a third route as 2002 U.S. Open Cup champions, the fourth U.S. position will fall to the Dallas Burn (who had the third highest point total in MLS)."

it should be given to the runner up of the u.s open cup, columbus. If for somecase both of the us open cup finalist already had spots in the ccc then it should go to the mls club with the second most points in the regular season. (dallas)

[sidspaceman]

Two clubs make their continental debut this week in Guatemala when the Group B quadrangular in Central Zone qualifying for the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Santos de Guapiles FC of Costa Rica and FC San Marcos of Nicaragua are participating in the Champions Cup for the first time, but they'll face an uphill battle to qualify against two traditional powerhouse from the host nation - CSD Municipal and CSD Comunicaciones - who each have a Champions Cup title to their credit.

http://www.concacaf.com/news/article.page/1018

[JG]

Municipal beat San Marcos 4-0 in the first match, Comunicaciones up 3-0 in the second half against Santos.

[sidspaceman]

CSD Comunicaciones y CSD Municipal both defeated their zonal opponents Wednesday at Estadio Mateo Flores as the second Central Zone qualifying quadrangular to the 2003 Champions Cup got underway in Guatemala.

http://www.concacaf.com/news/article.page/1020