Yeah this new format was pretty much guaranteed to screw over the Canada representative among others. The Galaxy have a cakewalk compared to everyone else. Its a shame because the group phase last time was actually competitive in every group
They are Guatemala's champion and if their stadium gets approved they might be able to make some noise in the group. You might remember their coach Herman Medford he coached Costa Rica and Leon in Mexico, he might not stay on though.
Xelaju is a minnow. Probably get thumped. Marathon and Olimpia got a doable group.. Seattle and Dynamos. I feel like upsets might be on the books.
Sure... Seattle has already lost to a weak Marathon in SPS before, while Olimpia will most likely be the favorites in their group.
Houston signed Oscar Boniek Garcia in a transfer from Olimpia. This could be interesting for both clubs heading towards the CCL group stage.
Those same guys were causing problems in Finland too. http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Football+betting+scandal+may+escalate+/1135264704237 A fellow member of the ECS is from Finland and splits his time between Seattle and Finland. The team he supports from Finland made some naive dealings with the Singaporean guys and when the shit hit the fan the Finish FA shut the team down with a chance to come back later. But because of some technicalities the team wasn't allowed back in. But the supporters for the team got together and started up a new club and are working to move it up through the finish football pyramid. If you really want to, you can read about them here. Lots of good pics and videos of games and supporters from the Finish 7th division http://www.weareecs.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=13694 Interesting story from real fans of the game who don't give up when the worst thing imaginable happens to their team.
what are we talking about here? a pretty rinky-dink of a stadium that seats like 1200 or something? no offense, but CCL needs to get beyond that. I know Antigua Barracuda's stadium is a cricket stadium that only seats a few thousand, but at least its fairly new and well built.
As someone else said before better a small stadium filled with passionate fans than the FC Dallas model of a nicer stadium filled with empty seats. If Xela is allowed to play in their stadium after the improvements they have just made and it makes this tournament more competitive then I honestly don't see the problem. I find the attendance restrictions the Galaxy have for this tournament more ridiculous then having a small stadium. Are you supposed to be real quiet as you walk to the game?
I don't want to overlook any opponent because anything can happen in this tournament, but Group 1 will most likely come down to goal differential between TFC and Santos (no disrespect to Aguila). Or Santos could murder the group.
not trying to troll or piss anyone off, but if CCL(you know, when it actually had a legit format) history taught us anything is that all the non mexican teams are minnows......and chivas, they are minnows too!! chivas suck
Lol.. I'm just basing it off from what I seen from their last CCL participation. But yea you're right, they could of changed their ways!!
If both TFC and Santos beat Aguila while winning their respective home games against each other, what decides the final outcome? Precisely. GD.
Precisely, this procedure from the regulations (unless they change the reg's for 2012-2013): - - Phase 2: Group Stage - Greater number of points earned in matches between the teams concerned - Greater goal difference in matches between the teams concerned - Greater number of goals scored away from home in matches between the teams concerned - Reapply first three criteria if two or more teams are still tied - Greater goal difference in all group matches - Greater number of goals scored in group matches - Greater number of goals scored away in all group Matches - Drawing of lots So if seeds #1 and #2 win their games against #3, it basically becomes a home-and-home between the top seeds, with away goals counting. Only if the two matches have identicle scorelines, would overall GD come into account. That is why I advocated that seeds #1 and #2 play a home+home in the last two matchdays, where if they sweep #3 in MD's 1 to 4, it becomes a straight knockout. (And if it happens in all eight groups, the tournament becomes a 16-team knockout.)
Both Trini teams won in the CFU semifinal, so W Connection and Caledonia AIA are into the CCL. Puerto Rico plays Antigua tomorrow for the final spot in the tournament.
And Puerto Rico defeated Antigua to claim the 24th spot in the 2012-13 CCL. http://www.concacaf.com/page/CL/NewsDetail/0,,12813~2818989,00.html Any idea when Concacaf plans to release the group stage schedule of play for all teams? Right now (just under 6 weeks from the first group match) we only know the match-date windows: http://www.concacaf.com/staticFiles/67/b4/0,,12813~177255,00.pdf
All times U.S. Eastern; home team listed first Week 1 Tuesday, July 31CF Monterrey (MEX) vs. Chorrillo (PAN), 8 p.m. CS Herediano (CRC) vs. Real Salt Lake, 10 p.m. Wednesday, August 1Toronto FC (CAN) vs. CD Aguila (SLV), 8 p.m. Isidro Metapan (SLV) vs. Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR), 10 p.m. Tigres UANL (MEX) vs. Real Esteli (NCA), 10 p.m. Thursday, August 2W Connection (TRI) vs. Xelaju (GUA), 8 p.m. CD Olimpia (HON) vs. CD FAS (SLV), 10 p.m. Seattle Sounders (USA) vs. Caledonia AIA (TRI), 10 p.m. Week 2 Tuesday, August 21Santos Laguna (MEX) vs. CD Aguila (SLV), 8 p.m. Real Salt Lake (USA) vs. Tauro FC (PAN), 10 p.m. Xelaju MC (GUA) vs. CD Guadalajara (MEX), 10 p.m. Wednesday, August 22Caledonia AIA (TRI) vs. CD Marathon (HON), 8 p.m. LD Alajuelense (CRC) vs. Tigres UANL (MEX), 10 p.m. CD FAS (SLV) vs. Houston Dynamo (USA), 10 p.m. Thursday, August 23Chorrillo (PAN) vs. CSD Municipal (GUA), 8 p.m. LA Galaxy (USA) vs. Isidro Metapan (SLV), 10 p.m. Week 3 Tuesday, August 28Toronto FC (CAN) vs. Santos Laguna (MEX), 8 p.m. Real Esteli (NCA) vs. LD Alajuelense (CRC), 10 p.m. Wednesday, August 29CD Guadalajara (MEX) vs. W Connection (TRI), 8 p.m. LA Galaxy (USA) vs. Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR), 10 p.m. Municipal (GUA) vs. Monterrey (MEX), 10 p.m. Thursday, August 30Tauro FC (PAN) vs. CS Herediano (CRC), 8 p.m. Caledonia AIA (TRI) vs. Seattle Sounders (USA), 8 p.m. CD Olimpia (HON) vs. Houston Dynamo (USA), 10 p.m. Week 4 Tuesday, September 18Tauro FC (PAN) vs. Real Salt Lake (USA), 8 p.m. Xelaju MC (GUA) vs. W Connection (TRI), 10 p.m. Real Esteli (NCA) vs. Tigres UANL (MEX), 10 p.m. Wednesday, September 19Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR) vs. LA Galaxy (USA), 8 p.m. CD Aguila (SLV) vs. Santos Laguna (MEX), 10 p.m. CD Marathon (HON) vs. Seattle Sounders (USA), 10 p.m. Thursday, September 20Houston Dynamo (USA) vs. CD FAS (SLV), 8 p.m. CSD Municipal (GUA) vs. Chorrillo FC (PAN), 10 p.m. Week 5 Tuesday, September 25 CF Monterrey (MEX) vs. CSD Municipal (GUA), 8 p.m. CD Aguila (SLV) vs. Toronto FC (CAN), 10 p.m. CS Herediano (CRC) vs. Tauro FC (PAN), 10 p.m. Wednesday, September 26W Connection (TRI) vs. CD Guadalajara (MEX), 8 p.m. CD Marathon (HON) vs. Caledonia (TRI), 10 p.m. LD Alajuelense (CRC) vs. Real Esteli (NCA), 10 p.m. Thursday, September 27Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR) vs. Isidro Metapan (SLV), 8 p.m. CD FAS (SLV) vs. CD Olimpia (HON), 10 p.m. Week 6 Tuesday, October 23Houston Dynamo (USA) vs. CD Olimpia (HON), 8 p.m. Real Salt Lake (USA) vs. CS Herediano (CRC), 10 p.m. Chorrillo (PAN) vs. CF Monterrey (MEX), 10 p.m. Wednesday, October 24Santos Laguna (MEX) vs. Toronto FC (CAN), 8 p.m. Seattle Sounders (USA) vs. CD Marathon (HON), 10 p.m. Tigres UANL (MEX) vs. LD Alajuelense (CRC), 10 p.m. Thursday, October 25CD Guadalajara (MEX) vs. Xelaju MC (GUA), 8 p.m. Isidro Metapan (SLV) vs. LA Galaxy (USA), 10 p.m.