This year happening some incredible things ) Premier League have no team in Champions League quarterfinals, and Mexico, after 10 years can have no team in CCL final
This year could be an all-Tico final. I thought Costa Rica's World Cup performance last year was a fluke but instead it has translated to better results and success in the club competition level.
The format has also helped as I thought it would. No more margin of error in the 3-team groups. Mexican clubs may still try to lollygag their way through but it has been at their on risk and they are being bitten by it with increasing frequency. And that gave me an excuse to use the word lollygag! And Uruguay is slowly on their way back to being the Uruguay of the 1990's.
Mexico wants to be in CONMEBOL but they don't want to BE in CONMEBOL if you get what I'm saying... I kid...
It's the cultural links too. Mexico has more in common with South America than Surinam with the rest of the Caribbean, or Israel with Europe. With the improvement by the Ticos, I wouldn't be surprised if they become a routine invitee to the Copa America.
A few changes I would make: The Schedule: Start late February, end late November *40% of the matches played on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays. All championship rounds played on weekends. (Getting more summer dates, and playing on weekends will increase attendance. Playing weekend games increase fan support home and away. Also the champion would go into the Club World Cup in form) The Format: Return to the exact format from the 2009 through 2012 instalments of the tournament . *Preliminary round for 16 teams, Group Stage, Championship Rounds (Increase in games, revenue, exposure, and tournament awareness) Country qualification berths: (4-USA, 4 - MEX, 3 - Caribbean, 3 - CRC, 3 - HON, 2 - PAN, 1 - CAN, 1 - GUA, 1 - ELS, 1 - NIC, 1 - BEL) Pot 1: Group stage US (2), MEX (2), CRC (1), HON (1), PAN (1), CAN (1) Pot 2: Preliminary Round US (2), MEX (2), CRC (2), HON (1), PAN (1), GUA (1), ELS (1), NIC (1), BEL (1) The Prize Money Group Stage : 1.2M distributed to each group (W=100K, D=50K) Advance to the Quarterfinals : 800K (100k per team) Advance to the Semifinals : 600K (150K per team) Runner Up: 50K Champions: 300K *Total money distributed is 6.55M *The most the a team can win is 1.15M The Marketing among many other things.... Introduce a theme song : example:Long Version, Short Version
You realize the whole point of having cup games in the middle of the week is so that it doesn't interfere with league games, right? Personally I think we should introduce Bears into the equation. Can you imagine the intensity of the game when you have to avoid a 900lb apex predator whilst trying to score on the other team. Viewership would skyrocket, and the losing team would be fed to the Bear and its Cubs, medieval style. I know it sounds a bit far fetched, but its probably more realistic then expecting a CCL and Copa libertadores merger.
MK3, the leagues will survive having to play a number of mid-week matches themselves. It is a little strange that the most important matches all are played mid-week. We aren't Europe, where games on any day will be automatically followed. Where is it set in stone that nothing else can be played on weekends?
League games make more money that CCL games, especially during groups, early elimination rounds. Now they could try it with the Final(s) or something, but I am sure the Federations will not like it.
Leage games DO make more money. But if you have an extra-mid week game, and you can sell 15,000 tickets for it, and lots of beer and food, then in the end, you are going to make more money with (say) 17 League games + 3 CCL games than just having 17 League games? It's not like anyone with the team is actually getting any more money, other than those selling the beer. And it's pretty clear (at least here in Toronto) from the published financial statements of the public stadium, that revenue increased when CCL (and Voyageurs Cup) games are being played. I suppose there's that plane you have to charter ... but I'd hope the extra TV revenue would at least cover that.
Like ceezmad already mentioned the Federations will not do it. Especially the FMF, due to the fact that league games are far more popular and more important than the CCL.
Take one spot away from USA and give it to Costa Rica. Don't give Canada an automatic spot for being the best Canadian MLS team; make them work for it like the rest of their fellow MLS teams. In fact, let's give Canada's spot to a 3rd Honduran team. I'm not too sure I like the idea of 8 groups of 3 teams; 6 groups of 4 teams sounds more appealing IMO.