CONCACAF equivalent to the Europa League

[AdamSoucie]

It's no secret that SuperLiga isn't the most popular of tournaments. Would CONCACAF be better served to have a full 2nd-tier tournament akin to the UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup?

If so, how would spots be given out? Personally, I'd keep the CCL format, only with the next level of teams, for example:

Mexico - 4 - Apetura and Clausura playoff semifinal runner-ups
USA - 4 - Conference Semifinal runner-ups, US Open Cup runner-up, USL Champion

Costa Rica - 2 - Apetura and Clausura runner-ups
Honduras - 2 - Apetura and Clausure runner-ups

etc, etc, etc...

[Nazzer]

Sure I'll play fantasy for a minute.


CCL Group Stage: 2 MEX, 2 USA, 1 CRC, 1 HON, 1 GUA, 1 SLV
CCL Prelim Pot A: 2 Mex, 2 USA, 1 CRC, 1 HON, 1 PAN, 1 CAN
CCL Prelim Pot B: 3 CFU, 1 GUA, 1 SLV, 1 PAN, 1 NIC, 1 BLZ
CONCACUP Group Stage: 8 losers from CCL prelim round
Seeded teams 2nd round of CONCACUP: 2 MEX, 1 USA, 2 CRC, 1 HON, 1 GUA, 1 SLV
CONCACUP 1st round qualifying pot A: 1 USA, 2 CRC, 2 HON, 1 GUA, 1 PAN, 1 CAN
CONCACUP 1st round qualifying pot B: 4 CFU, 1 BLZ, 1 NIC, 1 PAN, 1 SLV

Total Teams in Continental competition:
MEX 6, USA, 6, CRC 6, HON 5, GUA 4, SLV 4, PAN 4, CAN 2, NIC 2, BLZ 2, CFU 7


Have this, plus have a coefficient system where country ranking determines what spots you get in the two tournaments. (Except for CFU whose spots would be fixed and Canada unless we get at least 5 professional teams playing)

Then for the knockout rounds keep the champions league the same, and for the new tournament have the third place champion’s league group stage teams face the second place 2nd tier group stage teams, with winners going on to face the group winners in the quarterfinals.

[AdamSoucie]

I like that set-up a lot, actually. Nice name too, CONCACUP

[Nerroth]

Perhaps one could merge the three sub-regional tourneys that already exist - SuperLiga, Copa Interclubes UNCAF and the CFU Club Championship - and make it into a kind of equivalent to the Copa Sul-Americana (ie with a limited degree of crossover with teams also playing in the CCL).

Perhaps the three regions could be kept separate in the early rounds (over in Asia, their CL often sees teams in distinct geographical regions grouped together until the later stages of the competition) and only face off against each other in the knockout phase.

Thus, the spirit of the three regional tourneys would still exist, but scope would be added for CONCACAF-wide play.



(And in the case of the Caribbean teams, their CCL eligibility could still be determined by their results in this wider tourney.)

[Panfilo]

Whats the prize?

I ask this because Mexican clubs start taking the CCL seriously at the end of the tournament because they know the prize is the Club World Cup and the $$$ it offers.

But this tournament?

You lose money on traveling and get basically a meaningless trophy at the end.

pfft

Concacaf is barely pulling the CCL off and you guys want another tournament. (shakes head)

[EvanJ]

Perhaps one could merge the three sub-regional tourneys that already exist - SuperLiga, Copa Interclubes UNCAF and the CFU Club Championship - and make it into a kind of equivalent to the Copa Sul-Americana (ie with a limited degree of crossover with teams also playing in the CCL).

The Copa Interclubes UNCAF no longer exists because the UNCAF clubs qualify for the CCL through the individual countries.

[SJJ]

Debate on this topic is here: http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=673063

I am still torn between expanding the Concacaf League (which has gone much better than I thought it would), and creating a secondary tournament. (Although I did post my version of running two cups, with teams dropping from the League into the Cup.)

Conmebol has started their second tournament only in 2002, so it's not like they had theirs for decades and decades.

Maybe the best thing is to increase the League to 32 teams, then let it grow from there, when there is enough continental-wide need for it.

[jared9999]

Debate on this topic is here: http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=673063



Maybe the best thing is to increase the League to 32 teams, then let it grow from there, when there is enough continental-wide need for it.

that should be one of the goals.

[NYCockerel]

Focus on growing the CCL. Build from there.

[ArsenalMetro]

CCL Group Stage: 2 MEX, 2 USA, 1 CRC, 1 HON, 1 GUA, 1 SLV
CCL Prelim Pot A: 2 Mex, 2 USA, 1 CRC, 1 HON, 1 PAN, 1 CAN
CCL Prelim Pot B: 3 CFU, 1 GUA, 1 SLV, 1 PAN, 1 NIC, 1 BLZ
CONCACUP Group Stage: 8 losers from CCL prelim round
Seeded teams 2nd round of CONCACUP: 2 MEX, 1 USA, 2 CRC, 1 HON, 1 GUA, 1 SLV
CONCACUP 1st round qualifying pot A: 1 USA, 2 CRC, 2 HON, 1 GUA, 1 PAN, 1 CAN
CONCACUP 1st round qualifying pot B: 4 CFU, 1 BLZ, 1 NIC, 1 PAN, 1 SLV

Total Teams in Continental competition:
MEX 6, USA, 6, CRC 6, HON 5, GUA 4, SLV 4, PAN 4, CAN 2, NIC 2, BLZ 2, CFU 7

Alternatively, to save on cost for the second competition (which I think is a great idea, by the way), the CONCACUP could be just that, a cup - knockout style. Have it set up similarly to the old Champions Cup, like this (I'll refer to teams as listed above):

First qualifying round: Stays the same as above (Go from 32 teams to 24)
Second qualifying round: First QR winners v. CCL Preliminary round losers (24 to 16)
Then do a draw for the remaining 16*, make a bracket of it, 2-leg series, crown yourself a CONCACUP champion.

The most matches a team could possibly play in this setup would be 12, if they were to go from the first qualifying round to the final.

* - to cut down further on costs, this could be done similarly to the Asian Champions League, where the draw is regional. Or you could move the regional stuff back further to the qualifying rounds. Either way, it cuts down on travel.

[nfitz]

Focus on growing the CCL. Build from there.Seconded. We're not there ... yet.

[DonJuego]

In my view, if anything CCL is too big now. Non-champions from a nation should not be there.

I don't see CONCACAF needing or supporting two annual club competitions.