But big markets nevertheless on both sides. Even the honduran teams are the big ones. Too bad CCL wasnt just mex/usa/hond/costa rica. Perhaps the more relevant question is: how many teams in CCL will be playing in stadiums w/less then 5k capacity? hopefully not too many. i know Antigua Barracuda is probably in.
Chorrillo FC (the Panamanian Apertura champion) plays their home games in a 2,500 seat stadium. Real Esteli's stadium seats about 4,500, and they played their one home game there last year.
All C.A. countries can move games to bigger stadiums if needed. I have seen some games in small stadiums, and a sold out 4K stadium is > than a a 30K stadium with 4K people in it IMO.
Toronto FC has won the Canadian Championship, and gets the Canadian spot for the 4th year running. Been an odd year for Toronto ... 0-0-9 on Saturdays in league play, and 3-4-1 on Wednesdays in Champions League and Canadian Championship this season, with the only loss being to Santos Laguna in Mexico.
It's kind of a different situation in that their Cup is their only CL qualifier. So it's kind of a quasi-mini-league. So it's understandable why they take it so seriously.
Absolutely floored that Toronto managed to qualify again. They've been just shameful all season, but they're off to the Champions League again? They're the epitome of a "cup team."
No news so far. In the past the draw had been done already by this date. Maybe they plan on waiting until all teams have been determined? Or more likely, the CONCACAF clowns are too busy in Budapest.
a buck fifty says Santos Laguna vacates their spot for the upcoming CCL in regards to the supposed match-fixing scandal from Municipal when both teams met for a game in 2010. I'm only betting a $1.50 on this one cause I'm not so certain, but how funny would it be if indeed Municipal were ousted and FMF said SL will recuse themselves just for this year so they can maintain their ethical standing w/in the football community? ....hence, allowing Club America to qualify..haha
Link to this "scandal"? If they withdraw, they'd get fined, and I don't think they want to pay a fine for a tournament they could win, and get $1M at the CWC. And I highly doubt they'd have risked their reputation and thrown a game for Municipal. Municipal doesn't have enough money to make SL commit sports fraud. And SL doesn't need the money anyway.
http://deportes.terra.com.mx/futbol...656a29aebfe97310VgnVCM5000009ccceb0aRCRD.html http://www.lared.com.gt/index.php?o...-proyecto-gol-&catid=44:principales&Itemid=83 None of the stories I have read indicate that Santos bribed anyone just that some players in Municipal may have been bribed. A lot of the bribe stories in CONCACAF have involved gamblers possibly paying players I can't imagine Santos would bribe Municipal.
CONCACAF announced the groups http://www.concacaf.com/page/CL/NewsDetail/0,,12813~2798152,00.html Group 1Santos Laguna (MEX)Toronto FC (CAN)Aguila (SLV) Group 2Herediano (CRC)Real Salt Lake (USA)Tauro FC (PAN) Group 3Olimpia (HON)Houston Dynamo (USA)FAS (SLV) Group 4Seattle Sounders FC (USA)Marathon (HON)Caribbean 1 Group 5LA Galaxy (USA)Metapan (SLV)Caribbean 3 Group 6Tigres UANL (MEX)Alajuelense (CRC)Real Esteli (NIC) Group 7Chorillo (PAN)Monterrey (MEX)Municipal (GUA) Group 8Xelaju (GUA)Chivas de Guadalajara (MEX)Caribbean 2