2 days before the thing kicks off and we are still getting changes!!!!!!!! Predictions: Group A - 1st: One of the Trinidad teams; 2nd: the other Trinidad Team. Group B - 1st: Portmore; 2nd: Boys' Town or Valencia (if it was Baltmore instead, I would give them 2nd place) Play-off: The Trinidad team
Its official... CONCACAF now has the schedule on their website, one day before it starts: http://www.concacaf.com/page/CL/NewsDetail/0,,12813~3157584,00.html However, group A now only has 3 teams, it looks like Baltimore form Haiti have withdrawn
Disaster. I really hope that someone from CFU read this or other sources that criticized this organization and this tournament, and I really hope we'll see some changes Trinidad and Tobago teams will top Group 1 as Antigua Barracuda is falling apart - games against this team can decide with goal-difference. In Group 2 anything can happen - only thing safe to say is that we'll see debutant in 2013-14 CCL as no teams from this fantastic four have appeared in CCL before, at least no in Group stage. As far as I am concerned, anyone can enter as each team seems to be entertaining from my point of view. And I hope to see better attendance in CCL in Caribbean, especially in Trinidad and Tobago - last season it was ridiculous.
Disaster is a bit of an understatement. Its a total embarrassment. 7 teams (at the moment) for a competition, from region of 30 countries, fighting for 3 spots to play against a top mexican/american and central american team, with guaranteed two home games, is a complete shambles. If was owner of a club in the region, I would be jumping at the chance of welcoming the likes LA Galaxy, Monterrey, Saprissa, Olimpia and so and so on to my stadium. What is it which is putting teams off from entering? Costs? Strength of their squad? The complete impotence of the CFU to organise a competition? This isnt the first time CFU have messed clubs/countries around. They constantly "change" groups for the Caribbean Cup. Attendances arent great through out the region. Last year, only matches in Haiti and Cayman reached the 1,000's. The year before it was Suriname and Guyana. Are the ticket prices to high? People just dont know about the competition? If the CFU got off their backsides and invest the backhanders they receive into football... this could be a great competition. Instead, we are left with this crap.
Group 1 W Connection - Caledonia AIA 4-0 Group 2 Bayamon - Valencia 1-3 Portmore United - Boys' Town 1-0 Portmore plays Valencia, winner will 99% seal CCL spot. W Connection is in as there is no chance to see Antigua beating them.
Attendance - W Connection v Caledonia AIA: 70 http://concacaf.globalsportsmedia.c...s&page=tournament&view=match&match_id=1471471 Group 2 attendances not yet available
Seems like stadium was packed for second match in Jamaica. I hope that one Jamaican team that qualify to CCL will attract good crowd at National stadium... at least 10k.
So Wikipedia says that last year, W Connection and Caledonia qualified for the 2012 CFU Championship because they were #1 and #2 after Round 2 of the 2011-2012 T&T Pro League. Since the Pro League lasts 21 games, I assume they mean that Round 2= after 14 games. But this link, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011–12_TT_Pro_League#Positions_by_round , says that T&TEC was #1 and W Connection was #2 after 14 games. Can anyone shed light on this? This link confirms that Round 2=after 14 games: http://www.ttproleague.com/index.ph...is-oncfu-spots-at-stake&catid=1:domestic-news Anyway, I'll be rooting against Caledonia this year since they don't belong there. Once T&TEC withdrew, the spot should have been left vacant, as was the case when Baltimore withdrew, who also shouldn't have been given a spot in the first place. I don't see why the T&T Pro League couldn't wait until their season ended last year to decide who to send, since their CFU participation wasn't to begin until late May anyway.
So this article says that from now on, the CFU Club Championship will only be for amateur teams, while the pro teams will compete in CCL qualification with no trophy at stake: http://www.ttproleague.com/index.ph...-club-champions-cup-to-be-revisited-next-year It's also been said that there will be no trophy, champion or prize money for the current tournament going on right now.
If amateur clubs can't qualify for the CCL then it makes sense to have separate tournaments. With the CCL qualifying not having prize money, I'm wondering if all 24 CCL clubs get some prize money. What's the minimum CCL prize money and how many CCL clubs get prize money?
It seems that CFU Championship for amateur clubs will be played from next season - not maybe this time next year as it won't depend on CCL - this year's competition depends on CCL as it must end before specific date (May 31). Of course there will be no trophy this year as there is no final - group winners will finish their participation with last matchday in group stage. To be honest, I don't know what will that type of qualification look like next year - what teams are professional, what teams arent? Are those Haitian teams professionals? I don't think so. Bayamon? I don't think so. Will teams play on home and away basis? Will that competition last for only five days or it will last for weeks/months. And, I don't know why CONCACAF insist on that "professional teams" thing - in European football, that is ruled by best organized governing body (UEFA) - amateur teams can take part in CL and EL, e.g. teams from Andorra, San Marino, Faroe Islands... If it was on me, I would organize competition that would last from October till April and best three teams would qualify to CCL, no matter if they were pros or amaterus or something between. It would be like three groups of four teams, like each month one matchday, group winners qualify to CCL - expenses covered by CONCACAF and CFU - there is enough money to finance competition like this.
In Group 1 Caledonia have beaten Antigua 3-1. In Group 2 Valencia from Haiti trashed Jamaican champion Portmore United in the first half! It was 3-0, and 20 mins to time it's 3-1 for Haitian team that is very close to securing CCL berth.
Finished 4-3 to Valencia in the end did not see that coming!!! Does anyone happen to know what the tie breaker is for when teams have the same points? Head-to-head or goal difference?
The Bayamon twitter said GD. I tried going to the CFU website, but it's in maintenance during its official club championship. And they don't even have a twitter! Unreal. They need to make tiebreaking rules universal across world football, just how the point system is. It gets confusing after awhile to have to guess what the tiebreaker is. Since the T&T League ends in May now, they should just give the T&T champ an automatic spot to the CCL, and leave 2 CFU wildcard spots open for the rest.
I added this 1. goal difference 2. goals scored 3. result between teams on Wikipedia after checking CFU results in the past and seeing this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_CFU_Club_Championship#Group_C (Moengotapoe and Harbour View are equal on points, Moengotapoe beat HV 2-1 in their match , but HV qualified to the next round with better overall goal difference +9>-2. I agree with It's called FOOTBALL as T&T league, although having problems at the moment, is by far the best one in Caribbean. They should get one spot + one in CFU Cup.
This competition has the potential to be great and really promote soccer in the region. There is no excuse for Ccl only allowing pros, and no excuse for CFU being a cluster.
Agreed! W Connection - Antigua Barracuda 0-0 at HT, Bayamon - Portmore just kicked off. Portmore is looking for win with margin as big as possible.
W Connection - Antigua Barracuda 0-0 FT W Connection qualified to CCL, Caledonia AIA to playoff, Antigua eliminated. Portmore United - Bayamon 1-0 HT
Portmore United - Bayamon 5-0 Boys' Town - Valencia 0-0 Valencia qualified to CCL, Portmore United to playoff, Boys' Town and Bayamon eliminated
Huge result for Valencia. I hope to see packed stadium in Port-au-Prince and good effort by Valencia team! And, I am routing for Portmore in playoff games, I am sick of ~500 fans at Trinidad stadiums in CCL, and we need as more diversity as possible in CCL.
Im glad to see Valencia qualify... like someone already mentioned, its good to see diversity in the CCL. Hopefully Portmore can win the play-off, and the long awaited return of a Jamaican team. And maybe next year we will get a proper, more organised tournement with 2, 3 times the number of teams taking part.
Dates and time for the CFU3 play off have been set http://concacaf.globalsportsmedia.c...&page=tournament&view=schedule&season_id=7606 Leg 1: May 20th Portmore v Caledonia; 6PM EDT; Port of Spain Leg 2: May 22nd Caledonia v Portmore; 6 PM EDT; Couva Kinda pissed that both legs are in Trinidad a massive boost to Caledonia But at least we know about it a week before hand, rather than a day No official announcement from CONCACAF though
Portmore - Caledonia 0-1 in first leg. Should have been one leg on completely neutral ground (in, let's say, Haiti or Puerto Rico) or proper home and away match.