Re: 2009-2010 Concacaf Champions League Partially agree, but remember that this tournament had a two-year lead time before it started. (First mention was 11/24/2006: http://www.concacaf.com/view_article.aspx?id=3638). But I guess that you don't really know all issues that could come up, until you actually run it once or twice. Which follows from the philosophy that in creating (taking over from Uefa-Conmebol) the Club World Cup, it would want to make sure that the qualifiers would have some "bulk." (If you notice, all 6 confederations now run club tournaments with a group stage.) I think that FIFA sees that the future lies in club tournaments, instead of national teams, especially the age-specific championships. The WC is of course safe, but are the U-17, U-20, U-23 (Olympics, for now; I see that the proposal to change this was tabled: http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/federation/bodies/media/newsid=1065926.html) really necessary? And I guess that Blazer now runs the Club Cup: http://www.concacaf.com/view_article.aspx?id=4772 .
Re: 2009-2010 Concacaf Champions League Check out the edit to the last paragraph - apparently someone nudged the writer and read him/her how the tiebreaker possibilites mean Toronto's not dead yet. http://www.concacaf.com/view_article.aspx?id=4769
Re: 2009-2010 Concacaf Champions League Should be too long. I recall it happening sometime between like 3 and 4 eastern time last year. I could be mistaking that for another draw though.
Re: 2009-2010 Concacaf Champions League PRELIMINARY ROUND Arabe Unido-San Francisco (PAN) vs. San Juan Jabloteh (TRI) Pachuca (MEX) vs. Comunicaciones-Jalapa (GUA) New York Red Bulls (USA) vs. W Connection (TRI) Olimpia (HON) vs. Arabe Unido/Chorrillo (PAN) Cruz Azul (MEX) vs. Herediano (CRC) D.C. United (USA) vs. Chalatenango (SLV) Liberia (CRC) vs. Real Espana (HON) Vancouver Whitecaps/Toronto FC (CAN) vs. Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR) GROUP STAGE Group A Houston Dynamo (USA) Metepan (SLV) Pachuca (MEX)-Guatemala No. 2 (Comunicaciones or Jalapa) Olimpia Group B Toluca (MEX) Marathon (HON) D.C. United- (USA)-Chalatenango (SLV) winner San Juan Jabloteh (TRI)-Panama No. 1 (Arabe Unido or San Francisco FC) Group C Columbus Crew (USA) Saprissa (CRC) Cruz Azul (MEX)-Herediano (CRC) winner Canada No. 1 (Toronto FC or Vancouver Whitecaps) Group D Pumas UNAM (MEX) Comunicaciones/Municipal (GUA) New York Red Bulls (USA)-W Connection (TRI) Liberia (CRC)-Real Espana (HON) http://concacaf.com/view_article.aspx?id=4776
Re: 2009-2010 Concacaf Champions League Marathon could be a worthy opponent. The rest easy. Toluca para campeon
Re: 2009-2010 Concacaf Champions League Cruz Azul and Saprissa could be in the same group again...would be the best matchup in the group stages(on paper at least)
Re: 2009-2010 Concacaf Champions League Of course, Columbus will beat them both! Still, I don't relish playing @Saprissa, particularly on their awful surface. I doubt Guille even sees the field for the away leg.
Re: 2009-2010 Concacaf Champions League Add Columbs Crew and the Islanders/Vancouver/TFC in that group AKA GROUP OF DEATH... HAs Cruz Azul and Saprissa have a magnet for the Group of Death or something?
Re: 2009-2010 Concacaf Champions League That's twisted ... how do you end up with the two USL teams facing each other off in the preliminary round ... shouldn't there be rules that two teams in the same league shouldn't play each other in the preliminary round!
Re: 2009-2010 Concacaf Champions League nope,because this time im gonna put an altar with a lot of candles,and pray , this curse of losing finals cant last much longer at least i hope it doesnt.
Re: 2009-2010 Concacaf Champions League One of the balls in Pot B split opened in the fishbowl causing it to be drawn last. It was Puerto Rico Islanders.
Re: 2009-2010 Concacaf Champions League They're on different federations. Leagues doesn't matter here.
Re: 2009-2010 Concacaf Champions League only CONCACAF could figure out a way to screw up drawing ping-pong balls out of a fishbowl.
Re: 2009-2010 Concacaf Champions League Not only that. But they haven't even qualified yet, so it might not matter. It does kind of upset me though because it will give those that think the USL is better than MLS another excuse if they don't perform well. But hey, that's the luck of the draw.
Re: 2009-2010 Concacaf Champions League early prediction for the end of the group stages Group A 1. Pachuca 2. Houston Dynamo Group B 1. Toluca 2. Marathon Group C 1. Cruz Azul 2. Saprissa Group D 1. Pumas 2. Real España