Well Islanders have proven since last year that they are no joke....sh1t even play better football then alot or not the majority of MLS teams.
Actally the Islanders have 3 wins over mexican teams. As for the MLS, their teams don't put that much effort on this league like the other teams. The don't strive to play better and to win it all. Look at Brucie Arenas. The Galaxy didn't do their best and when push came to shove, they were eliminated. And Bruce started saying that the JRL was in terrible conditions (actually terrible would be a step up) but the Islanders beat the Galaxy 4-1 in LA. And the Galaxy only score one goal cause the other 2 were own goals. Teams like Puerto Rico and all the central american teams and caribbean put their effort in this tournament and they is why they end up winning games. Except of course Joe Public, all they do is get scored on.
You know I wasnt surprised in Islander demolishing of LA Gaylaxy. And I dont buy Bruces excuse, Islander have proven themself a very good team to play against. Dont know why he would take Islanders so kindly....
Because the peoples from others country think that we are nothing in fútbol (soccer). But let the time comes.
Puerto Rico still have a long way to go but it is getting there. They need to start building up the kids and get facilities and one day you will see the Boricuas on top.
No lie, this may well be the best year (2010-11) in the history of Puerto Rican soccer, if the Islanders and the PUR national team can go far in their respective competitions. On top of that, with the new qualifying system (pending FIFA approval), Puerto Rico will have six World Cup games to round out the calendar year 2011. Now, if only they could convince River Plate Ponce to play Puerto Ricans once in a while, it would be perfect.
Great win for PRI last night, and congratulations. However, I still think Olimpia and Toluca go through from Group D. PRI almost assuredly will need to win @Olimpia to progress, unless FAS helps them tonight or @Toluca next matchday.
Alas, Puerto Rico will be doomed for only getting a point in San Salvador. Can't see them beating Olimpia in Honduras and the goal differential screws them in the tiebreaker.
Meanwhile, Olimpia has gone top of Group D with a 4-1 thumping of FAS...but wow, I'm more impressed at what must have been hundreds of travelling Olimpia fans that TOOK OVER the stands behind the goal to the right (from the TV camera's perspective). With the tifo, umbrellas, a giant "Los que Nunca Te Fallamos" banner and all. I think he means blowing the big game at home. Honduras's NT unfortunately has not had a good decade in that regard (all WC qualifiers)... 2001: Honduras 0-1 Trinidad and Tobago (blew their chance to get the last qualifying spot in the Hexagonal) 2004: Honduras 0-0 Costa Rica (went home in the second-to-last round) 2009: Honduras 2-3 USA (fortunately, things panned out for them later)
Right now I'm way too lazy to go through it in detail, but...now that Matchday 5 is done, here's how each of the teams in the group stage are standing, heading into the last round of games in October. (the W/T/any result situations are meant to be the "bare minimum") Group A Cruz Azul (MEX): Through to the quarterfinals. Can clinch first place with a win or tie @ Real Salt Lake. Real Salt Lake (USA): Through to the quarterfinals. Can clinch first place with a win vs. Cruz Azul. Toronto FC (CAN), Árabe Unido (PAN): Eliminated Group B Santos Laguna (MEX): Can clinch first place with a win vs. Municipal, or a tie + Crew tie or loss @ Joe Public; guaranteed to advance with any result if Columbus loses @ Joe Public Columbus Crew (USA): Can clinch first place with a win @ Joe Public + Santos Laguna tie or loss vs. Municipal; can advance with any result if Municipal loses Municipal (GUA): Can clinch first place with a win @ Santos Laguna + Columbus Crew tie or loss @ Joe Public; can advance only by winning their game Joe Public (TRI): Eliminated Group C *Monterrey (MEX): Already won Group C Deportivo Saprissa (CRC): Can advance to the quarterfinals with a win @ Seattle Sounders, or a tie or loss + Marathon tying or losing vs. Monterrey Marathón (HON): Can advance to the quarterfinals with a win vs. Monterrey + Saprissa tie or loss @ Seattle Sounders Seattle Sounders (USA): Eliminated Group D Olimpia (HON): Can clinch first place with win or tie vs. Puerto Rico Islanders; can advance with any result + Toluca tying or losing vs. FAS Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR): Can clinch first place with win @ Olimpia; can advance with tie + Toluca tying or losing vs. FAS Toluca (MEX): Can advance with tie vs. FAS + Puerto Rico Islanders loss @ Olimpia. Note: Toluca cannot win the group, which leaves a really good chance that we'll see another all-Mexican quarterfinals, and another one which would guarantee a second non-Mexican semi-finalist in the three years of the CCL. FAS (SLV): Eliminated
Thanks for the update USAFan. I can't wait for the games next month. In the meantime we can enjoy the Caribbean Championships that I believe start this weekend.
I know that Olimpia and Maraton are different teams, but we demonstrate that we can win in Honduras like we do in 2008-2009 edition. We beta Maraton on both matches in the quarter finals.
Very true but Olimpia is at a different level right now then Marathon. Also I think Olimpia scoring first at Islanders shows Oilimpia being more superior but at the same time Islanders did come back but I think Olimpia being at home Islanders wont have a chance like Toluca.
Well, the good thing for the Islanders is that they will probably know what they need by the time the step on the field. So, if in fact they need a tie or a win they can play accordingly.
Well, in the 2008-2009 ed. Marathon won the Apertura 2009, so in that year Marathon was a better team than Olimpia. But I know the 6th match its going to be very interesting for the top 3 team in group D.
Given that a lot of people on this board (and the CCL threads in other boards) have wondered 1) why the Matchdays spread out from Tuesday to Thursday, and 2) why the last games of the group stage are not played simultaneously, this should shed some light. Over in Costa Rica, Saprissa is sending a letter to CONCACAF to ask for the last games in their group (Seattle Sounders vs. Deportivo Saprissa, and Marathon vs. Monterrey) to be played at the same time; as it is, Marathon will know if it has a chance to advance with a win, or if it is already eliminated, before the team even takes the field. Interestingly, the article includes a comment from Benjamin Spencer (CONCACAF spokesman) about the schedule: Translation for non-Spanish speakers: "We haven't received a formal petition, but anyways, there will not be a change to the established schedule. It's not possible to play the games at the same time due to the available TV hours and other reasons." Feel free to speculate on what the "other reasons" are, but now we all know: in CONCACAF's world (all competitions except for World Cup qualifying), keeping ESPN, Univision and Televisa happy trumps everything else.
Well with the attendance they get, they need to make money somewhere, I am cool with the 3 day game play, but the games should be played at the same time on match day 6. Maybe in the future that will happen.
The PR Islanders have done shit against Mexican teams in Mexico. And they have faced mostly b squads. They have gotten wins in Mexico but they all were very hard fought games and the Toluca game was the first when they faced a A team. Kudos to them for the victories but still they are at home. On the other hand they not only eliminated an LA Galaxy team but they got to a semifinal which is more than what any MLS teams has done in the revamped CCL. So it's pretty clear who they have done better than and who they haven't. Don't try to group MLS and their subpar performances with the MFL.
lol name 1 mexican team that plays crappier football than the islanders. there isnt any. The islanders embarassingly bunker on the road when they play Mexican teams.