The 2019 CONCACAF League and 2020 CONCACAF Champions League are going to change. The 2019 CONCACAF League will increase to 22 teams with a qualifying round in July. The 5 Central American champions will now have to start in the CL instead of going straight into the CCL. The Canadian Premier League will also get a team into the CL. Only 10 teams will qualify directly to the 2020 CCL: 4 Mexico, 4 USA, the Canadian Championship winner and the Caribbean Football Union Champion. The other six will be the 2019 CL winner and the next five best teams from that tournament.
The CL field is complete. The CCL field has a ways to go. Qualification 2019 CONCACAF League Preliminary Round CRC3: Saprissa (Best aggregate record non-champion) HON3: Marathon (Best aggregate record non-champion) PAN3: San Francisco (Best aggregate record non-champion) SLV2: Santa Tecla (2018 Apertura winner) SLV3: Aguila (Best aggregate record non-champion) GUA2: Antigua GFC (2019 Clausura winner) GUA3: Communicaciones (Best aggregate record non-champion) NCA2: Real Esteli (2019 Clausura winner) BLZ1: Belmopan Bandits (Champion with better aggregate record) CFU3: Capoise (HAI) (2019 Caribbean Club third place) CFU4: Robinhood (SUR) (2019 Caribbean Club playoff) CAN2: Forge FC (CPL qualification winner) Round of 16 CRC1: San Carlos (2019 Clausura winner) CRC2: Herediano (2018 Apertura winner) HON1: Motagua (2018 Apertura winner) HON2: Olimpia (2019 Clausura winner) PAN1: Tauro (2018 Apertura winner) PAN2: Independiente (2019 Clausura winner) SLV1: Alianza (2018 Apertura winner) GUA1: CD Guastatoya (2018 Apertura winner) NCA1: Managua (2018 Apertura winner) CFU2: Waterhouse (JAM) (2019 Caribbean Club runner-up) The Preliminary Round is in July. The Round of 16 starts in August. 2020 CONCACAF Champions League MEX1: Club America (2018 Apertura winner) MEX2: Tigres UANL (2019 Clausura winner) MEX3: Cruz Azul (2018 Apertura runner-up) MEX4: Leon (2019 Clausura runner-up) USA1: TBD (2019 MLS Cup winner) USA2: TBD (2019 MLS Supporter Shield winner) USA3: TBD (2019 MLS other conference winner) USA4: TBD (2019 U.S. Open Cup winner) CAN1: TBD (2019 Canadian Champion) CFU1: Portmore Utd (JAM) (2019 Caribbean Club Champion) CL: 2019 CONCACAF League 1st CL: 2019 CONCACAF League 2nd CL: 2019 CONCACAF League 3rd CL: 2019 CONCACAF League 4th CL: 2019 CONCACAF League 5th CL: 2019 CONCACAF League 6th
2019 CONCACAF League pairings: Preliminary Round, July 2019 First team listed hosts the 2nd leg. PR1: (PAN3) San Francisco v. (SLV1) Alianza PR2: (CFU3) Capoise(HAI) v. (CFU4) Robinhood (SUR) PR3: (CRC3) Saprissa v. (BLZ1) Belmopan Bandits PR4: (GUA2) Antigua GFC v. (CAN2) Forge FC PR5: (HON3) Marathon v. (GUA3) Comunicaciones PR6: (SLV2) Santa Tecla v. (NCA2) Real Esteli Round of 16, August 2019 First team listed hosts the 2nd leg. (HON1) Motagua v. (NCA1) Managua (NCA1) (CRC2) Herediano v. (CFU2) Waterhouse (JAM) (CRC1) San Carlos v. winner PR6 (PAN1) Tauro v. winner PR1 (PAN2) Independiente v. winner PR2 (SLV1) Aguila v. winner PR3 (GUA1) Guastatoya v. winner PR5 (HON2) Olimpia v. winner PR4
I like this new CL format better, but it's still competitively crazy that MLS (effectively) gets more CCL berths than Liga MX. It's even crazier that the CFU champion goes directly into CCL. I'd love to see some MLS teams navigate the CL (USOC and other conference winner, preferably), but I don't expect that to happen any time soon.
To expand on this a bit, I wouldn't be totally heartbroken if they swapped the equivalent of the US Open Cup winner spot with perhaps Costa Rica 1? The US team would surely be in the top 6 teams of the CL, but this way it basically evens the slots that qualify directly to the Champions League with Mexico. And I agree on the Caribbean winner going straight to the Champions League being kinda lame...I guess their reasoning is they already played a tournament to find out who the best of the Caribbean is, so they should automatically qualify; you can't tell me though that that team is markedly better than a CRC1 or even HON1/PAN1.
The current CONCACAF ranking system based on the last 5 tournaments has it this way. This is not a complete list for the CL. CCL teams 1 MEX3 113 pts 2 MEX2 112 pts 3 MEX1 103 pts 4 CAN1 79 pts 5 USA3 77 pts 6 USA4 60 pts 7 USA2 58 pts 8 USA1 58 pts 9 MEX4 50 pts 10 CCC1 25 pts CL teams 1 PAN1 54 pts 2 CRC2 49 pts 3 PAN2 47.5 pts 4 HON1 45 pts 5 CRC1 42 pts 6 HON2 35 pts 7 SLV1 32 pts 8 GUA1 32 pts 9 CCC2 29 pts 10 NCA1 26.5 pts EDIT: Hmm, SLV2 has to start in the Preliminary Round but has more points than some of the higher seeds. 1 SLV2 32.5 pts You can argue with their system and the insistence on doing it by slots which has some confusing effects but right now the only real discrepancies are the Caribbean Champion up way too high and surprisingly MEX4 which is the one that could be replaced by PAN1. It is not clear how they will use these rankings for the CCL draw next spring.
Seems like Mexico needs to catch up by 6 months. The notion that the winners this fall would have to wait 14 months instead of 2 is kind of silly. They could simply omit the next 2 runners-up and be all caught up. Calendar-wise, it simply wouldn't work. None of the US teams are determined until after the CL is underway or complete. After the US just caught their schedule up the last year or two (as I mentioned Mexico needs to do now), it would be pretty unlikely to switch things around again. Those rankings are soooooo stupid. I can only hope they do away with them sooner rather than later. It wouldn't exactly be difficult to come up with a better system.
BTW, USA3, the highest ranking US team, was filled by these teams in last 5 tournaments: 2019: Houston Dynamo, U.S. Open Cup champ 2018 2018: NY Red Bulls, non-SS conference winner 2016 2016-17: FC Dallas, non-SS conference winner 2015 2015-16: DC United, non-SS conference winner 2014 2014-15: Portland Timbers, non-SS conference winner 2013 USA4, the 2nd highest, was these teams: 2019: NY Red Bulls, best aggregate record 2017-2018 2018: Colorado Rapids, SS runner-up 2016 2016-17: Sporting Kansas City, US Open Cup champ 2015 2015-16: Real Salt Lake, SS 4th place 2014 2014-15: DC United, Open Cup champ 2013 Three Open Cup champs and not a lot of glamour teams in there.
Yeah, that makes sense. I think the ranking by qualifying slot thing that they do now is alarmingly stupid, but since that's what we have now, yes. The top seed from the best Central American league should go straight to CCL. By my coefficients, this would actually be the last time that Costa Rica would get that berth, presumably for a while. Their terrific 2014-15 campaign just got cleared, and they've been equal to or worse than Panama in all of the last 4 seasons. The Open Cup final could be moved up. It was in early August in 2012, and that was still with 3 weeks between the R16 and quarters, 2 weeks between the quarters and semis, and 4 weeks between the semis and final.
Does USL League Two (what the PDL became?) have college players that are only available at some times? Could those players start earlier for the sake of the U.S. Open Cup determining the winner earlier? I don't think U.S. Soccer will change just for the sake of reducing the CCL lag for one club.
My implied point was that I don't think it needs to start much earlier, if at all, but the breaks between later rounds would need to be shortened. It's all pie-in-the-sky thinking anyway, because Concacaf isn't stripping a US berth.
Yes, the FMF needs to fix its qualifying the way the USSF did. Some speculate the adjustment was delayed to see if they can send the December teams to the Copa Libertadores instead. Since it seems like a Liga MX return to the Libertadores is not going to happen in the current "tepid" climate between CONCACAF and CONMEBOL it's now time to eliminate the lag. The 2020 CCL winner will play at the 2020 CWC in Qatar, the final edition in its current format before the proposed expansion.
Why? Based on the CCL rankings MLS teams are fine. And that "extra" CCL spot could potentially be a CPL team, or at least they have a shot if they win the Voyaguers Cup. I do agree on the CFU going directly to CCL is kind of dumb but maybe this is the only way CONCACAF can guarantee at least one Caribbean team is on CCL. Otherwise, it would be difficult seeing one Caribbean in CCL if it isn't directly.
I think we all know why the CFU Winner is in the CCL, right? To appease that voting block. That said, I wouldn't mind a way of getting one of the Central American clubs a direct berth but I'm not sure how to justify it on a sporting merit, per the rankings above. Still, looking forward to one of my favorite tournaments.
2019 CONCACAF League Preliminary Round Home team first, times are ET First Leg Tuesday, July 30 Real Esteli (NCA) v. Santa Tecla (SLV) 10:00 pm Wednesday, July 31 Robinhood (SUR) v. Capoise (HAI) 8:00 pm Belmopan Bandits (BLZ) v. Saprissa (CRC) 10:00 pm Thursday, August 1 Forge FC (CAN) v. Antigua GFC (GUA) 6:00 pm Alianza (SLV) v. San Francisco (PAN) 8:00 pm Comunicaciones (GUA) v. Marathon (HON) 10:00 pm Second Leg Tuesday, August 6 Santa Tecla (SLV) v. Real Esteli (NCA) 10:00 pm Wednesday, August 7 Capoise (HAI) v. Robinhood (SUR) 8:00 pm Saprissa (CRC) v. Belmopan Bandits (BLZ) 10:00 pm Thursday, August 8 San Francisco (PAN) v. Alianza (SLV) 8:00 pm Antigua GFC (GUA) v. Forge FC (CAN) 8:00 pm Marathon (HON) v. Comunicaciones (GUA) 10:00 pm The Round of 16 starts on August 20.
BUMP: The 2019 CONCACAF League gets started this week. The CL is more important now since it has been expanded and qualifies 6 teams into the 2020 CONCACAF Champions League. I have no idea how to watch any of these games. 2019 CONCACAF League Preliminary Round Home team first, times are ET First Leg Tuesday, July 30 Real Esteli (NCA) v. Santa Tecla (SLV) 10:00 pm Wednesday, July 31 Robinhood (SUR) v. Capoise (HAI) 8:00 pm Belmopan Bandits (BLZ) v. Saprissa (CRC) 10:00 pm Thursday, August 1 Forge FC (CAN) v. Antigua GFC (GUA) 6:00 pm Alianza (SLV) v. San Francisco (PAN) 8:00 pm Comunicaciones (GUA) v. Marathon (HON) 10:00 pm Second Leg Tuesday, August 6 Santa Tecla (SLV) v. Real Esteli (NCA) 10:00 pm Wednesday, August 7 Capoise (HAI) v. Robinhood (SUR) 8:00 pm Saprissa (CRC) v. Belmopan Bandits (BLZ) 10:00 pm Thursday, August 8 San Francisco (PAN) v. Alianza (SLV) 8:00 pm Antigua GFC (GUA) v. Forge FC (CAN) 8:00 pm Marathon (HON) v. Comunicaciones (GUA) 10:00 pm The Round of 16 starts on August 20.
I think they're going to be streaming on https://www.concacafgo.com/concacafgo (but don't quote me on that)
USL2 (formerly PDL) does have a preponderance of NCAA student-athletes who, unless the rules have changed (paging @ThePonchat) cannot have "outside competition" until May 1.
Good shout! And, you’re spot on. College rules restrict competition while school is in session OR while the “championship season” is playing — for those not in spring sports, May 1 is the understood/written release date. The only competition that is allowed is representing the national team at the Olympic-level or a competition (such as USMNT, USWNT, FIBA event, etc.). Obviously, players that have exhausted eligibility are excluded from these rules.
Addendum: A small inclusion in the rules, that I did not know/see, does permit an NCAA student-athlete to participate in any amateur contest that takes place during the school's vacation period. The vacation period must be identifiable within the institution's catalog. So, this permits participation with a USL2/USASA/NPSL team during winter break, spring break, etc.
2019 CONCACAF League Preliminary Round Home team first, times are ET First result: First Leg Tuesday, July 30 Real Esteli (NCA) 2-1 Santa Tecla (SLV) Wednesday, July 31 Robinhood (SUR) v. Capoise (HAI) 8:00 pm Belmopan Bandits (BLZ) v. Saprissa (CRC) 10:00 pm Thursday, August 1 Forge FC (CAN) v. Antigua GFC (GUA) 6:00 pm Alianza (SLV) v. San Francisco (PAN) 8:00 pm Comunicaciones (GUA) v. Marathon (HON) 10:00 pm Second Leg Tuesday, August 6 Santa Tecla (SLV) v. Real Esteli (NCA) 10:00 pm Wednesday, August 7 Capoise (HAI) v. Robinhood (SUR) 8:00 pm Saprissa (CRC) v. Belmopan Bandits (BLZ) 10:00 pm Thursday, August 8 San Francisco (PAN) v. Alianza (SLV) 8:00 pm Antigua GFC (GUA) v. Forge FC (CAN) 8:00 pm Marathon (HON) v. Comunicaciones (GUA) 10:00 pm The Round of 16 starts on August 20.
Results from last night: Robinhood (SUR) 0-0 Capoise (HAI) 8:00 pm Belmopan Bandits (BLZ) 1-3 Saprissa (CRC) 10:00 pm
2019 CONCACAF League Preliminary Round Home team first, times are ET First Leg is complete: First Leg Tuesday, July 30 Real Esteli (NCA) 2-1 Santa Tecla (SLV) Wednesday, July 31 Robinhood (SUR) 0-0 Capoise (HAI) Belmopan Bandits (BLZ) 1-3 Saprissa (CRC) Thursday, August 1 Forge FC (CAN) 2-1 Antigua GFC (GUA) Alianza (SLV) 5-1 San Francisco (PAN) Comunicaciones (GUA) 2-1 Marathon (HON) Second Leg Tuesday, August 6 Santa Tecla (SLV) v. Real Esteli (NCA) 10:00 pm Wednesday, August 7 Capoise (HAI) v. Robinhood (SUR) 8:00 pm Saprissa (CRC) v. Belmopan Bandits (BLZ) 10:00 pm Thursday, August 8 San Francisco (PAN) v. Alianza (SLV) 8:00 pm Antigua GFC (GUA) v. Forge FC (CAN) 8:00 pm Marathon (HON) v. Comunicaciones (GUA) 10:00 pm The Round of 16 starts on August 20.