2024 CCC Qualifiers [R]

Hi everyone,

No actual activity to report on for the time being... but just wanted to capture all of the updates that Concacaf shared today on qualifying berths and hand-me-down scenarios for the first edition of the 27-team CCL.







Besides what we knew about regional fall tournaments feeding in to the Champions League circuit, it's worth noting that 1) Mexico's hand-me-downs will now take into account the full-year table (rather than just the corresponding half-season table), and 2) Trinidad and Tobago's league will finally be brought back into the fold.

 

Great question - I'd hope that for the transition, the CanPL would give its 2024 berths to both the 2022 and 2023 league champs.

 

Apropos of nothing: my working assumption is that berths that are holdovers from the current CCL format will be awarded the same way (other than the USA1through USA3 being changed to MLS1 through MLS3). That is, while the last two Liga MX berths will be awarded based on a full-year table, my hunch is that the scenario of an Apertura runner-up winning the Clausura will be handled the same way (i.e. with the MEX3 getting passed down the Apertura regular-season table).

Leaving that speculation aside: do we want to keep track of qualifying for the tournaments that feed in to the CCL here?

If yes: the Costa Rican regular season wrapped up at the start of this month...

Tras completadas las 16 jornadas del A22 Liga Promerica así finalizan las posiciones en cada grupo 🔥 ⚽️#LigaPromerica #Unafut #A22 pic.twitter.com/TTSWly8nBA

— UNAFUT (@UnafutOficial) October 3, 2022

And the first legs of both semifinals in the Round 2 playoffs ended scoreless. The second legs will be played this weekend, with Herediano looking to win the Apertura outright after topping the regular season aggregate table.

Esta es la tabla acumulada tras finalizadas las 16 jornadas del A22 Liga Promerica 🏆⚽️

¡Se vienen las semifinales! 🔥🤩#LigaPromerica #Unafut #A22 pic.twitter.com/Jl1M42WeRm

— UNAFUT (@UnafutOficial) October 3, 2022

...if no, then the above can be shared in an eventual Central American Cup thread, and we can shift our focus to the first direct CCL qualifiers on the horizon: the finalists from the Mexican Apertura playoffs, currently in the quarterfinal round.

 

The first qualifiers to the new-look CCL will be some old hands, as the Mexican Apertura has produced the following semifinals:

Club América vs. Deportivo Toluca
CF Monterrey vs. CF Pachuca

 

And we have our first team in!

Toluca held on and survived a late scare (an América goal called off by VAR) to win 3-2 on aggregate and advance to the Apertura final.

Don't worry about the águilas, though: the new format means they have 3 more chances to qualify. They could do one better in the Clausura playoffs; or claim their berth earlier by assuring a top 2 finish in the Liga MX full-year table (mind you, they have the inside track as the Apertura's Superlíder). Finally, if neither option pans out, there's always Leagues Cup...

2024 CCL Qualifiers

1. CF Toluca [MEX1, MEX2 or MEX3]

 

Pachuca held serve at Monterrey - and rubbed salt in the wound by having an ex-rayado score a late PK - to join Toluca in the Apertura Final and return to the continental stage.

2024 CCL Qualifiers

1. CF Toluca [MEX1, MEX2 or MEX3]
2. CF Pachuca [MEX1, MEX2 or MEX3]

 

So we run into the first oddity with the new CCL seeding:

Pachuca ran Toluca up the flagpole in the first leg of the Liga MX Apertura Final and held serve at home to claim the Apertura title...

But we can't give them the MEX1 berth just yet, as that now will be decided in the full-year table between the Apertura and Clausura champs, with the CCL First Round bye on the line.

2024 CCL Qualifiers

1. CF Toluca [MEX1, MEX2 or MEX3]
2. CF Pachuca [MEX1 or MEX2]

 

Boa pergunta, sei lá

I'm particularly curious to find out what Concacaf plans to do with the Caribbean Cup berths reserved for the Haitian league, since it's been inactive for about a year now with the local political crisis. As a one-off, they could just use the standings from the last time the league was played and/or bring in the Haitian participants from the last Caribbean Championship, but there has to be a different long-term solution on the table.

 

Welp, there's our answer:

🇭🇹 The biggest news, though, is that Haitian teams will not be allowed to participate.

"This unfortunate decision had to be taken in view that the Haitian league did not commence any football activities in 2022 and has not yet resumed play," a confederation statement reads. pic.twitter.com/Zojx6Lbkei

— Jon Arnold (@ArnoldcommaJon) April 21, 2023

On another note, Concacaf has confirmed that with two full-year-table berths available to Liga MX clubs beyond the Apertura and Clausura finals, both América and Monterrey have punched their tickets.

2024 CCL Qualifiers

1. CF Toluca [MEX1, MEX2 or MEX3]
2. CF Pachuca [MEX1 or MEX2]
3. Club América [MEX1, MEX4, MEX5 or MEX6]
4. CF Monterrey [MEX1, MEX4, MEX5 or MEX6]

 

With the Liga MX Clausura now in the playoff phase - without my Cruz Azul, who are now in Leagues Cup-or-bust mode - a quick word on hand-me-down situations, with thanks to whoever drew up the full-year table on Wiki:

If my supposition is current, and the full-year table preference only applies to the extra Liga MX berths (MEX5 and MEX6), then we have two scenarios on our hands.

1. If América or Monterrey reach the Clausura Final, then Chivas stand to benefit, as the next best team in the full-year table. Toluca getting to the Final and falling at the last hurdle again would have the same effect, passing Chivas the MEX4 berth as the best team in the Clausura table...

2. However, if Toluca do one better than last season and win the Clausura, they would move up to MEX2 (having finished behind Pachuca in the full-year table) and pass the MEX3 berth down the Apertura table to Santos Laguna. Again, presuming that Concacaf and Liga MX left the hand-me-down rules for MEX1-4 unchanged.

2024 CCL Qualifiers

1. CF Toluca [MEX2 or MEX3]
2. CF Pachuca [MEX1 or MEX2]
3. Club América [MEX1, MEX4, MEX5 or MEX6]
4. CF Monterrey [MEX1, MEX4, MEX5 or MEX6]

 

The Liga MX Clausura quarterfinals wrapped up this weekend, and gifted us some humdingers in the semis

CF Monterrey vs. Tigres UANL
Club América vs. Chivas

For our purposes, this also means that we have all of our direct qualifiers from Liga MX spoken for: by virtue of their positions in the full-year table, Chivas and Tigres will receive hand-me-down berths if they don't reach the Clausura Final.

2024 CCL Qualifiers

1. CF Toluca [MEX3]
2. CF Pachuca [MEX1 or MEX2]
3. Club América [MEX1, MEX4, MEX5 or MEX6]
4. CF Monterrey [MEX1, MEX4 or MEX5]
5. Chivas [MEX2, MEX4, MEX5 or MEX6]
6. Tigres UANL [MEX2, MEX4 or MEX6]

 

For twists, turns, and exhilaration, you can't do much better than the Liga MX playoffs

Both higher seeds survived the first legs of the semifinals on the road with the advantage well in hand... only to both let it all slip away late at home.

And with that, we now know one of our top seeds for the next Champions League! Chivas and Tigres will repeat their infamous 2017 showdown, but both are looking up at Pachuca in the full-year table.

On a side note: Concacaf has also announced that the draw for the Central American Cup (incidentally, another path to a top seed) will take place on June 8 - noting that the draw will allow for up to two teams from the same country in the same group.

2024 CCL Qualifiers

1. CF Toluca [MEX3]
2. CF Pachuca [MEX1]
3. Club América [MEX6]
4. CF Monterrey [MEX5]
5. Chivas [MEX2 or MEX4]
6. Tigres UANL [MEX2 or MEX4]

 

Had to update the thread title, what with today's announcement:

27 Clubs. 51 Matches. 1 Cup. The new Concacaf Champions Cup is here 🏆

Read the full announcement 🔗 https://t.co/2aCKbvqEfX#ConcaChampions pic.twitter.com/KyzlN6HVwk

— Concacaf Champions Cup (@TheChampions) June 6, 2023

 

Completely forgot about the qualifiers list :

Chivas flipped the script on themselves in the Clausura Final, blowing the second leg at home to gift Tigres the title.

The last question to ask out of Liga MX is, what happens if any of the teams with CCC berths in hand go on to medal in Leagues Cup? Presuming that hand-me-down Concacaf berths from that tournament get retained by the league occupying it (e.g. if Liga MX hogs the top 3 places, they get all 3 berths), the order depends on whether the Liga MX full-year table or the Concacaf club ranking is used. As of today, both agree on current continental champs León being next in line; the order of the following two beneficiaries is either Santos Laguna, then Cruz Azul (Liga MX), or Cruz Azul ahead of Santos Laguna (Concacaf).

2024 CCL Qualifiers

1. CF Toluca [MEX3]
2. CF Pachuca [MEX1]
3. Club América [MEX6]
4. CF Monterrey [MEX5]
5. Chivas [MEX4]
6. Tigres UANL [MEX2]

 

A couple updates to share for today, starting with an apology:

Over here, I like to zoom in on national/regional competitions once we are two stages away from clubs qualifying for the CCC, when I sense that teams start to envision actually making it. By that measure, I screwed the pooch monumentally on the Canadian Championship - and even worse, as the Final was finally shown on TV here in the US!! (On FOX Sports 2)

Having said that, congratulations to our next entrant!

🏆 Back 2️⃣ Back 🏆

We are the #CanChamp Champions!!! 🎉#VWFC | #VANvMTL | #RunItBack pic.twitter.com/jQiniFMfuk

— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) June 8, 2023

The pill will be at least a little less bitter for Montreal this year, of course, as they and Toronto will have a couple more shots at qualifying through Leagues Cup and MLS...

Today, we also have a slew of draws underway, first for the US Open Cup:

The Semifinals (Host Listed First) | #USOC2023 @fccincinnati v @InterMiamiCF @HoustonDynamo v @realsaltlake

Both to be played on August 23rd | @opencup

— U.S. Open Cup (@opencup) June 8, 2023

(of course, Concacaf is already salivating over the idea of Messi and co. reaching the continental stage, why are you acting surprised? )

La que te falta, Leo 🏆 #ConcaChampions pic.twitter.com/4O6LgS8lR2

— Concacaf Champions Cup (@TheChampions) June 8, 2023

And then for the Caribbean Club Shield:

👀 These are the results of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Club Shield Official Draw 👇 pic.twitter.com/JW1LnfaSON

— Concacaf (@Concacaf) June 8, 2023

Mind you, we won't be following the latter that closely, as it largely serves to round out the field for the Caribbean Cup (yes, the Champions Cup, Central American Cup and Caribbean Cup monikers are back and repurposed. Everything old is new again ).

Speaking of the Caribbean Cup, the draw will be happening in a couple minutes. Apparently we can watch it here in the US on Concacaf's site... (EDIT: Never mind, US viewers do have to go through a subscription service ) The Central American Cup draw will follow in ~2.5 hours.

2024 CCL Qualifiers

1. CF Toluca [MEX3]
2. CF Pachuca [MEX1]
3. Club América [MEX6]
4. CF Monterrey [MEX5]
5. Chivas [MEX4]
6. Tigres UANL [MEX2]
7. Vancouver Whitecaps [CAN1]

 

The awaited draw results:

🚨 The teams for Group A and B of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup have been revealed! 🤩#CaribbeanCup pic.twitter.com/2SGbom6DH6

— Concacaf Champions Cup (@TheChampions) June 8, 2023

📰 👀 ¡Así quedaron los grupos del Sorteo Oficial de la Copa Centroamericana Concacaf 2023!  🥳#CopaCentroamericana pic.twitter.com/fqghr1xNvH

— Concacaf Champions Cup (@TheChampions) June 9, 2023

No way to gauge the relative strengths of the Caribbean Cup groups, since the Trinibago clubs have been on hiatus from regional ball for years now... as for Central America, Group C already looks a bloodbath

 

Yes, it was announced with the expansion:

The MLS berths belong to MLS now, not US Soccer - so Toronto and Montreal can still qualify via MLS Cup, finishing 1st in their conference (regular season), or getting a hand-me-down berth through the Supporters' Shield table.