First off, I like the CCL. But it has some issues that need fixing. Mainly when it comes to the teams that get in. Problem 1. Mexico and the US. If this was run like the ACL and UCL, these two leagues would have a much better standing when it comes to team berths. We all know these are the two best leagues. In a perfect world, Mexico would get all 4 berths automatically, MLS would get 3 with 1 one qualifying. For the sake of fairness, I think it should be switched to 3 automatic qualifiers from both leagues, 1 from each has to qualify like they do now. Problem 2. Belize. For the past couple years, CONCACAF has been wasting a berth on these guys. The past two years, they've been forced to withdraw because they're stadiums suck. Why keep giving them a berth? Guatemala gets it anyway. Either give Guatemala another qualifying slot, with there top 2 going straight to groups, or give Canada another slot, which leads me to... Problem 3. Canada. These guys will show up for CCL games. Why not let Canada get 1 auto qualifier for winning the Canadian Championship, while the runner up can go through qualifying? The final still matters, because it determines who goes straight in, and who has to take the long road. Problem 4. No coefficiency changes. UEFA changes league slot amounts. The AFL changes league slot amounts. Even the OFC changes league slot amounts. But CONCACAF doesn't. This is not fair to the leagues under its umbrella. In Asia, if you can't enter into the CCL, every couple of years you have a chance to apply to get in. If you only get one team in, you can apply for two. I think the next time they look at it is 2013. But that doesn't happen here. You can say its because of the poor countries or something like that, but I'm not buying it. If they can't afford it or support it, give it to someone who can.
Re: 2 -- because things change. I appreciate, with all the ugly things that CONCACAF has done, that they give Belize a chance to get their house in order. I'm think this year they'll finally have it right. Re: 4 -- but they have. Look more closely at the wiki page for each year the CCL. No all of the shifts in slots have come from countries like Belize losing their slot.
i still don't understand why Canadian MLS teams are allowed in the CCL when they finish so low in the MLS table. when a side from Wales is in the EPL they don't allow them another way to get into the champions league. am i missing something?
Yes, different federations have different rules, Concacaf is not UEFA, Read the Concacaf rules. BTW I think the EPL Welsh clubs could make European tournaments if they want to, the Welsh FA lifted the Ban. Link Canada in CCL is the same reason why an American team could finish out of the playoffs and make the CCL if they win the US Open Cup. Link. BTW NASL and USLPRO teams can also make the CCL even if they do not play in MLS.
How about replacing the badge with just the trophy and have clubs remove their league badge. While we are talking about a trophy,it needs to look better than the current plastic piece of crap trophy a u10 team could win Why not raise the stakes by offering prize money for each match.Unless corruption in concacaf has ended,the heads are keeping the money.But if any of them had a brain,they could EASILY increase the quality of play.Higher quality=more behinds in seats=more $$$
Agreed about the badges, the whole CCL feel just feels cheap. It should be the ULTIMATE prize for every single team in CONCACAF. They really need to make it feel like that and also award more money. There should be a theme song for CONCACAF played just like in every other champions like in other federations. TV rights need to be improved but that will change when people start to realize how big a deal it is and that will change when more money is offered to the winners. Seeing stadiums empty for these games is just stupid and depressing. Seattle was empty last night, if they cant fill a stadium who can
Perhaps we can invite S. American teams to play in the CCL? (the prize money would have to be significant enough I guess) The travel would suck but if we were to do this for a couple of years it might spike interest in the league. Neymar or Ronaldinho playing a competitive match on CONCACAF soil would def help
I don't want to see how poorly non-Mexican clubs in CONCACAF would do against CONMEBOL clubs. CONMEBOL already has two tournaments, Libertadores and Sudamericana, and why would their clubs want to travel far to help CONCACAF out?
for the money they would. im just saying we need something new to attract more fans b/c even clubs with damn good attendance dont care about the CCL and it should be the main attraction