2016-17 CCL Qualifiers [R]

Antigua pulled off the comeback, holding on to a 2-0 lead to win the Guatemalan Apertura final 3-2. Fun fact: the G in their initials stands for Guatemala.

2016-17 CCL Qualifiers

1. Vancouver Whitecaps [CAN]
2. Sporting Kansas City [USA]
3. FC Dallas [USA]
4. New York Red Bulls [USA]
5. Árabe Unido [PAN]
6. Pumas UNAM [MEX]
7. Portland Timbers [USA]
8. Tigres UANL [MEX]
9. Honduras Progreso [HON] *
10. Antigua GFC [GUA] *

 

Finally, Alianza overcame FAS 1-0 in the Salvadoran final to mark their return to the Champions League for the first time 2011...the same as for FC Dallas, the team that eliminated Alianza in the prelims that year.

2016-17 CCL Qualifiers

1. Vancouver Whitecaps [CAN]
2. Sporting Kansas City [USA]
3. FC Dallas [USA]
4. New York Red Bulls [USA]
5. Árabe Unido [PAN]
6. Pumas UNAM [MEX]
7. Portland Timbers [USA]
8. Tigres UANL [MEX]
9. Honduras Progreso [HON] *
10. Antigua GFC [GUA] *
11. Alianza [SLV]

 

And finally, the biggest club in Central America bar none, IFFHS's choice for team of the [20th] century in CONCACAF, will get a shot at Champions League redemption next season. Saprissa pulled off two straight wins over archrival Alajuelense in the Torneo de Invierno title to win the series 4-1 and get their 32nd domestic championship.

Now, just to recap what we anticipate in the second half of qualifying for next season's CCL:

• 2 Mexican Clausura finalists (or hand-me-down recipients)
• 5 Clausura champions from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama
• 2 league winners from Belize and Nicaragua - in each case, whichever team between the Apertura and Clausura winners finished highest in the full-year table.
• 3 top finishers in the 2016 CFU Club Championship.

2016-17 CCL Qualifiers

1. Vancouver Whitecaps [CAN]
2. Sporting Kansas City [USA]
3. FC Dallas [USA]
4. New York Red Bulls [USA]
5. Árabe Unido [PAN]
6. Pumas UNAM [MEX]
7. Portland Timbers [USA]
8. Tigres UANL [MEX]
9. Honduras Progreso [HON] *
10. Antigua GFC [GUA] *
11. Alianza [SLV]
12. Deportivo Saprissa [CRC]

 

The full schedule for the CFU Club Championship is out (h/t to @mczh ):




So only one of Montego Bay and Central FC (at most) will be able to make it back to the Champions League this year; by the same token, thanks to the make-up of Groups 2 and 4, we are guaranteed to have a Caribbean debutant.

 

The CFU Club Championship group stage wrapped up today, and the following semifinals will take place on April 29 in Haiti:

W Connection (TRI) vs. Arnett Gardens (JAM)
Don Bosco (HAI) vs. Central FC (TRI)

This is assuming 1) that the CFU doesn't rejigger the matchups to have the Trini teams play each other - wouldn't be the first time that's happened - and 2) that Atlético Pantoja's accusation that Arnett Gardens fielded three ineligible players in their Group 4 decider falls on deaf ears.

 

A couple updates during this international break:

Now that seeding among qualifiers from the same country no longer matters, we can wait until the playoffs to catch up with most of Central America...but the Belizean and Nicaraguan regular seasons still require following, as the Apertura winners can snatch the Champions League berth early by finishing top of the full-year table.

In Belize, Opening Season winners Police United apparently have two games in hand over Belmopan Bandits, their only rivals left in the full-year table. The Bandits have 39 points to 36 for the Police, so the latter will just need four points to wrap up first place and guarantee their debut in continental football next year.

UNAN Managua, OTOH...



...are nowhere close.

 

Police United will play their games in hand this Thursday and Saturday. Unfortunately, this being Belize, we probably won't find out the results until around Tuesday.

 

Over the last week, the Police did the business with their games in hand, winning against Wagiya and snatching a 1-1 draw against Placencia Assassins to reach 40 points in the full-year table, good for first place and a first-ever appearance in the Champions League next season..assuming FFB Field is kept up to standard.

2016-17 CCL Qualifiers

1. Vancouver Whitecaps [CAN]
2. Sporting Kansas City [USA]
3. FC Dallas [USA]
4. New York Red Bulls [USA]
5. Árabe Unido [PAN]
6. Pumas UNAM [MEX]
7. Portland Timbers [USA]
8. Tigres UANL [MEX]
9. Honduras Progreso [HON] *
10. Antigua GFC [GUA] *
11. Alianza [SLV]
12. Deportivo Saprissa [CRC]
13. Police United [BLZ] *

 

In Nicaragua, the expected is now confirmed: no way UNAN Managua finishes top of the full-year table.

 

Just to get a sense of what conditions are like around CONCACAF: here is the Belmopan Bandits' erstwhile team bus rolling in for a league game.

 

So according to Eric Salinas at mediotiempo, the hand-me-down rules in Mexico have changed:



Before, all hand-me-down scenarios involved the half-season tables i.e. going to the highest team not yet qualified in the Clausura regular season table unless the Apertura runner-up wins the Clausura, in which case the highest team not yet qualified in the Apertura table would be the beneficiary (see: Santos Laguna --> Chivas in 2012).

Now, if both Apertura finalists reach the Clausura final, the highest team not yet qualified in each half-season table gets the hand-me-down tickets; if only one of them makes it, then the highest team not yet qualified in the full-year table gets in.

I haven't seen anything from the FMF confirming this change, but I imagine Salinas is closer to the source.

 

All references to the next edition on CONCACAF's website have been "2016-17 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League". IF there are any changes, it will be 2018 onward.

On another note, we have our first Caribbean qualifier!

W Connection de Trinidad y Tobago venció 2-0 a Arnett Gardens de Jamaica, jugará final del Caribe y clasificó a Liga de Campeones Concacaf

— Javier Rivera (@JavierRiveraVen) April 29, 2016

Don Bosco or Central FC up next...

2016-17 CCL Qualifiers

1. Vancouver Whitecaps [CAN]
2. Sporting Kansas City [USA]
3. FC Dallas [USA]
4. New York Red Bulls [USA]
5. Árabe Unido [PAN]
6. Pumas UNAM [MEX]
7. Portland Timbers [USA]
8. Tigres UANL [MEX]
9. Honduras Progreso [HON] *
10. Antigua GFC [GUA] *
11. Alianza [SLV]
12. Deportivo Saprissa [CRC]
13. Police United [BLZ] *
14. W Connection (TRI) [CFU]

 

Don Bosco and Central are going to PKs after a 1-1 draw...I've run out of nails to bite. Anyone got spares?

 

Once again, Central FC overcome Don Bosco on penalties to set up an all-Trini CFU final. Don Bosco will take on Arnett Gardens for the last berth on Sunday.

2016-17 CCL Qualifiers

1. Vancouver Whitecaps [CAN]
2. Sporting Kansas City [USA]
3. FC Dallas [USA]
4. New York Red Bulls [USA]
5. Árabe Unido [PAN]
6. Pumas UNAM [MEX]
7. Portland Timbers [USA]
8. Tigres UANL [MEX]
9. Honduras Progreso [HON] *
10. Antigua GFC [GUA] *
11. Alianza [SLV]
12. Deportivo Saprissa [CRC]
13. Police United [BLZ] *
14. W Connection (TRI) [CFU]
15. Central FC (TRI) [CFU]

 

A quick update from Nicaragua: UNAN Managua finished third in the full-year table...



...and with all four of the top teams shown here qualified for the Clausura semifinals (ongoing), UNAN need to either pull off the double or hope that Diriangén finally live up to their local legacy.

 

YES!!!!

The battle of the newbs in the Third Place Match went to the hosts:

LdC Concacaf : Don Bosco enfin
En battant Arnett Gardens 2-0 au stade Sylvio Cator, le Don Bosco s'est hisse en Concacaf Champions League

— Enock Nere (@nenock) May 1, 2016

(Foot/ LDC Concacaf)

Qualification Don Bosco pour la phase de groupe ligues des champions de la CONCACAF 2016-17... https://t.co/VPPRUecpcu

— Discussion Football (@DiscusFootball) May 1, 2016

So we will have a third Haitian team in the Champions League, after Tempête in 2011 and Valencia in 2014...assuming that CONCACAF approves the Stade Sylvio Cator, of course. If not, then a) they'll have to scramble to find another suitable stadium in Haiti, which I doubt there is, or b) the berth will go to Arnett Gardens.

2016-17 CCL Qualifiers

1. Vancouver Whitecaps [CAN]
2. Sporting Kansas City [USA]
3. FC Dallas [USA]
4. New York Red Bulls [USA]
5. Árabe Unido [PAN]
6. Pumas UNAM [MEX]
7. Portland Timbers [USA]
8. Tigres UANL [MEX]
9. Honduras Progreso [HON] *
10. Antigua GFC [GUA] *
11. Alianza [SLV]
12. Deportivo Saprissa [CRC]
13. Police United [BLZ] *
14. W Connection (TRI) [CFU]
15. Central FC (TRI) [CFU]
16. Don Bosco (HAI) [CFU] *

 

Confirmed: the draw will be May 30 in Miami.

 

I'll come through with some updates from Central América, but for now: the Mexican Clausura playoffs are set.

CF Monterrey vs. Tigres UANL
CF Pachuca vs. Santos Laguna
Club León vs. Monarcas Morelia
Club América vs. Chivas de Guadalajara

As for the hand-me-down situation, this time it doesn't matter whether the FMF updated its rules or not. The rayados finished top of the Clausura regular-season table; they also top the full-year table with 60 points, just like León, and have a superior GD (+18 to +11). Thus, coincidentally, if Monterrey were to get eliminated by their derby rivals, they would have to turn around and cheer for Tigres to make the Clausura final as their last chance at qualifying for the tournament they know so well.

 

A quick UNCAF roundup (leaving aside Belize, whose CCL berth is spoken for):

Guatemala, El Salvador and Panama just wrapped up their respective Clausura regular seasons this weekend. The former two leagues move on to a play-in round for teams 3 through 6, while Panama will head straight to the following semifinal series:

Atlético Nacional vs. Chorrillo FC
Plaza Amador vs. Árabe Unido

In Honduras, the play-in round finished over the weekend, leaving us the following semifinals:

Olimpia vs. Motagua
Real Sociedad vs. Real España

Finally, championship series are already upon us in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. In the former, Nicaragua's only representatives in the CCL to date, Walter Ferretti and Real Estelí, will do battle over the next couple Saturdays; both finished higher than Apertura champ UNAN Managua in the full-year table, so the Clausura winner is guaranteed to head straight to the Champions League. Costa Rica will wrap up their Torneo de Verano at a quicker pace, as old hands Herediano and Alajuelense meet on Monday and Saturday for their country's last berth (assuming no last-minute stadium issues in Belize).