2019 CONCACAF Champions League Thread

I believe this is the current list of qualifiers for the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League.
I could be wrong on some details including which team goes into which national slot.

MEX1: UANL Tigres (2017 Apertura winner)
MEX2: Santos Laguna (2018 Clausura winner)
MEX3: Monterrey (2017 Apertura runner-up)
MEX4: Toluca (2018 Clausura runner-up)
USA1: Best MLS league record 2017-2018 (ATL currently leading)
USA2: 2018 MLS Cup winner
USA3: Sporting Kansas City (2017 U.S. Open Cup winner)
USA4: 2018 U.S. Open Cup winner
CAN1: 2018 Canadian Championship winner
CRC1: Saprissa (2018 Clausura winner w/ better aggregate record)
SLV1: Alianza (2017 Apertura & 2018 Clausura winner)
GUA1: Antigua GFC (2017 Apertura winner w/ better aggregate record)
HON1: Marathon (2018 Clausura winner w/ better aggregate record)
PAN1: Independiente (2018 Clausura winner w/ better aggregate record)
CFU1: Atletico Pantoja (DOM) (2018 Caribbean Club Champion)
CL: 2018 CONCACAF League winner

 

When does it begin?

 

No MLS teams involved but the 2018 CONCACAF League starts next week.

2018 CONCACAF League
Round of 16
Home team first, times are ET

First Leg
Tuesday, July 31
Arabe Unido (PAN) v. Arnett Gardens (JAM) 8:00 pm
Motagua (HON) v. Belmopan Bandits (BLZ) 10:00 pm
FAS (SLV) v. Pérez Zeledón (CRC) 10:00 pm

Wednesday, August 1
Santos de Guápiles (CRC) v. Portmore United (JAM) 8:00 pm
Diriangén (NCA) v. UD Universitario (PAN) 8:00 pm @ Heredia, CRC
Club Franciscain (MTQ) v. Walter Ferretti (NCA) 10:00 pm

Thursday, August 2
Tauro (PAN) v. Real España (HON) 8:00 pm
Herediano (CRC) v. Santa Tecla (SLV) 10:00 pm


Second Leg
Tuesday, August 7
Belmopan Bandits (BLZ) v. Motagua (HON) 8:00 pm
UD Universitario (PAN) v. Diriangén (NCA) 8:00 pm
Pérez Zeledón (CRC) v. FAS (SLV) 10:00 pm

Wednesday, August 8
Walter Ferretti (NCA) v. Club Franciscain (MTQ) 8:00 pm @ Alajuela, CRC
Santa Tecla (SLV) v. Herediano (CRC) 10:00 pm

Thursday, August 9
Arnett Gardens (JAM) v. Arabe Unido (PAN) 7:30 pm
Portmore United (JAM) v. Santos de Guápiles (CRC) 10:00 pm
Real España (HON) v. Tauro (PAN) 10:00 pm

The Quarterfinals start on August 21.

 

I wish MLS teams were involved in the Concacaf League. They haven't shown that they're that much better than Costa Rican teams, so it's wildly out of touch with actual results that MLS gets 5 direct entrants into the Champions League (in practical terms), while Costa Rica gets one.

 

Gotta root for my dad's home town team of Santa Tecla, but dang they got a tough draw with Herediano. Was there any kind of seeding involved with these matchups, or were they pure luck? And looks like it's home and away single elimination, I guess groups would have taken too long.

 

Both Concacaf competitions are knockout-only now.

The seeding is done by slot rather than team. The SLV2 slot had 38.5 points according to the Concacaf Club Index, which put it 3rd of 16, putting it in Pot 1. The CRC3 spot only had 2 points, because it didn't exist prior to last year, so it was 13th of 16 and in Pot 2. So Santa Tecla is actually the higher seed, somehow.

Check here for other details

Placing the various participants in pots based on how that qualifying slot has done previously rather than how that club has done previously is mind-numbingly stupid, but, you know, Concacaf.

My "favorite" thing about that system right now is that USA2 (2018 MLS Cup winner) is in Pot 2 for the 2019 Champions League, while the other three USA slots are in Pot 1. So, if Kansas City, currently holding down USA3 because of last year's Open Cup, were to win MLS Cup this year, their position in the draw would actually get downgraded.

 

I agree to some extent but not all CR teams are that much better. Other than Saprissa, Herediano and maybe one other I am forgetting, CR isn't much better.

CCL will probably change in a couple of years again from a KO round to a group stage once again. With the addition of the Canadian league next year and as they start to expand, CONCACAF will need more than 16 spots available to fit everyone in.

 

Unlike the Gold Cup, I don't think MLS clubs get high enough attendance to warrant favorable treatment over Central America for Concacaf's revenue reason. I don't like having 16 clubs compete for one CCL spot. What I would prefer would have 32 clubs, which is 1 more than the current 31 for the CCL and CL combined. Let 16 clubs start in Qualifying Round 1. Have those 8 winners play 8 clubs who start in Qualifying Round 2. Have those 8 winners join 8 clubs who start in the Round of 16. Clubs in Qualifying Round 1 would need to play 12 games to win the CCL, which is 4 fewer than for clubs in the CL now, and the same amount as when the CCL had four groups of four followed by Quarterfinals. You could have two American clubs start in the Round of 16, one American club start in Qualifying Round 2, and one American club start in Qualifying Round 1.

They should let clubs who qualify twice get to choose what spot they want. The analogy is the Europa League, where each country's latest entry is their cup winner if that club is not in the Champions League. It would be ridiculous to take the third place Premier League club and put them in the Europa League if they won the FA Cup.

 

I didn't say that Costa Rican teams are better at all; they're not, and the historical record backs that up.

They are not, however, five times worse than MLS teams, which is what the allocation implies.

 

They probably do when you factor in ticket price

 

that's a very weak lineup for CR and GUA. Motagua/ Real España should be very disappointed if they don't win this. Now Nicaraguan and El Salvador teams have a good chance to get to the final

 

Portmore, coached by MLS veteran Shavar Thomas, pulled off a 2-1 upset over Santos.

 

No real big blowouts either besides the Panamanian teams so far...Arabe Unido won 3-0 against another Jamaican team and Universitario won 4-0 against a Nicaraguan team. Salvadoran team(s) holding their own so far, we'll see tonight with Santa Tecla.

 

What are you guys using to look up scores? My usual app (Fotmob) doesn't even acknowledge this tournament's existence.

 

Wikipedia (I assume they're pulling it from the official www.concacafleague.com site though)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_CONCACAF_League

 

Check out the Forza Football app (free). I have yet to find a competition it doesn't list, including this one. Nothing fancy but if you just want the scorelines its solid.

 

The games are being streamed on the CONCACAF Youtube channel.

 

Download the app All Goals to your phone. It has all this stuff (and you can favorite leagues and/or competitions).

I see @JasonMa has already provided an alternate app (the one I listed is free as well).

 

http://www.espn.com/soccer/scoreboard

 

2018 CONCACAF League
Round of 16
Home team first, times are ET

First Leg results:
Tuesday, July 31
Arabe Unido (PAN) 3-0 Arnett Gardens (JAM)
Motagua (HON) 2-0 Belmopan Bandits (BLZ)
FAS (SLV) 2-1 Pérez Zeledón (CRC)

Wednesday, August 1
Santos de Guápiles (CRC) 1-2 Portmore United (JAM)
Diriangén (NCA) 0-4 UD Universitario (PAN) @ Heredia, CRC
Club Franciscain (MTQ) 1-0 Walter Ferretti (NCA)

Thursday, August 2
Tauro (PAN) 1-0 Real España (HON)
Herediano (CRC) 1-0 Santa Tecla (SLV)


Second Leg
Tuesday, August 7
Belmopan Bandits (BLZ) v. Motagua (HON) 8:00 pm
UD Universitario (PAN) v. Diriangén (NCA) 8:00 pm
Pérez Zeledón (CRC) v. FAS (SLV) 10:00 pm

Wednesday, August 8
Walter Ferretti (NCA) v. Club Franciscain (MTQ) 8:00 pm @ Alajuela, CRC
Santa Tecla (SLV) v. Herediano (CRC) 10:00 pm

Thursday, August 9
Arnett Gardens (JAM) v. Arabe Unido (PAN) 7:30 pm
Portmore United (JAM) v. Santos de Guápiles (CRC) 10:00 pm
Real España (HON) v. Tauro (PAN) 10:00 pm

The Quarterfinals start on August 21.

 

The competitions are in a bad order in the drop-down menu. The CONCACAF Champions League is in one place. Much farther down there's the CONCACAF Champions Cup (last played in 2008) followed by the CONCACAF League.

I use https://www.flashscore.com/football/north-central-america/concacaf-league/

 

Many surprises as always.

What was not surprising is all Nicaraguan teams (which are usually bad btw) were thrashed even in their "home" games because of the critical situation in the country.

Biggest surprise so far: Real España losing to Tauro, I expect them to be at least at semis.

Best game remaining: If you are crazy like I am and like watching central american games, Perez Zeledon (CR) against FAS (ESV) is a must see.!!

 

It seems a long time since Tauro beat Dallas