Weekend league results: Pachuca - Chivas 0:1 Club America - Toluca 5:1 Monterrey - Tigres 3:3 Columbus - RSL 0:0
Oh, Pachuca have a long history of being a rock in América's shoe (e.g. when they ruined Cuauhtémoc Blanco's sendoff)
Semis schedule confirmed: https://www.concacaf.com/champions-...-champions-cup-semifinals-schedule-confirmed/
Only way Crew host the Final is if they win both legs against Monterrey and América and Pachuca somehow draw both their games, right?
2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup Home team first, times are ET Semifinals First Leg Tuesday, April 23 C. America (MEX) v. CF Pachuca (MEX) 10:15 pm Wednesday, April 24 Columbus Crew (USA) v. CF Monterrey (MEX) 8:15 pm 2nd Leg Tuesday, April 30 CF Pachuca (MEX) v. C. America (MEX) 9:15 pm Wednesday, May 1 CF Monterrey (MEX) v. Columbus Crew (USA) 10:15 pm Final is scheduled for June 2, although that might be changed if the game is in Mexico due to the national elections.
Continues into being a manager, too: 🚨 Xavi: “It’s a pity, our Champions League is over due to referee’s mistake”.“I just told the referee that he’s been a disaster. It’s the reality”. pic.twitter.com/BhzKc0UMAu— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 16, 2024 Always aggrieved, no matter what. Also related to that game - I feel like MLS takes some heat occasionally when they give CCL teams weekends off early in the season with critiques like "they'd never do that in Europe!" Ligue 1 gave PSG the weekend off, La Liga had Barcelona travel to Cadiz. Maybe more leagues should ease the burden for their standard-bearers in continental play.
Yep. Columbus might get the “Leagues Cup treatment” if they make the final. All the travel, none of the hosting. (Higher seed hosting doesn’t make sense to me in a relatively short tournament. Luck of the draw plays a major role.)
Ligue 1 is desperate for a continental title. Much like MLS was until 2022. It’s been more than 30 years since Marseille won. Columbus are fortunate now to have three consecutive home games before the decisive second leg in Monterrey. That’s limited travel for them: 21/04 - Portland 25/04 - Monterrey 28/04 - Montreal 02/05 - @ Monterrey Rayados by comparison: 21/04 - @ Leon 25/04 - @ Columbus 29/04 - @ Necaxa 02/05 - Columbus
Those games against león and Necaxa are going to be tough on Monterrey. Both teams are fighting for play in spots while Monterrey is protecting it's first round Bye.
True, but you don't change the way you play because, for example, Schulte made a boneheaded decision that led to a goal. Gignac didn't do anything special that forced him into making it. Nancy may well tweak aspects of the way the Crew play, but he won't deviate from the script to any great extent. If we lose, well, then we lose. All I really hope is that we play to our ability. Schulte's mistake was a highly unusual one for him. It can be devastating when it happens in tournament play, as opposed to an isolated match during the MLS regular season. If we get beat by a better team while playing our game, I'm okay with that. But at home, I'd like to think we have a decent shot at a result in that first match IF we play to our ability. Imagine that the first half of the MLS Cup match in December. That second match in Monterrey could be a very different story, of course.
I'm not saying this is an excuse..... I'm saying this could be an excuse if they lose treatment more like it.
2 draws with America going through. Unless Columbus just destroys Monterrey on GD. I think it would take 2 combs and then some. A practical impossibility.
I thought the final could be at a neutral venue (not saying this is a good idea). "All matches will include home and away series between the first round to the semi-finals, with the final being a single match at a neutral site.[14]" 14 - https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/concacaf-announces-expanded-champions-league-starting-in-2024
The regulations say that the final will be at a neutral site but that Concacaf reserves the right to grant hosting to the team with the highest standing in the tournament. It is Rule 12.8. https://www.concacaf.com/champions-cup/regulations/
Considering Marseille fans took to the streets to celebrate when PSG lost the 2020 UCL Final, I highly doubt it Right, the regulations allowed for that flexibility; but Concacaf confirmed in their semifinal schedule announcement that they've decided to pass on the neutral-venue option and let the finalist with the better record do the honors.
Who said anything about fans? The Ligue de Football Professionnel, governing body of Ligue 1, would probably like to have a UEFA Champions League winner after a long dry spell. They are therefore more likely to accommodate PSG scheduling requests. You know, like MLS used to do? https://www.espn.co.uk/football/sto...les-toronto-fc-red-bulls-games-ccl-semifinals
It is weird. I grew up watching the European Cup in England. You sort of want the team from your domestic league to win because you're familiar with the players but you also gloat when they go out. If there was no English team in the final I wouldn't pay much attention. So PSG in the final would be a no-lose situation for most French fans. They'd be happy to see a French team win but annoyed that it's PSG. You'll see what I mean when Seattle wins the CWC.
Not all of them, but I think there's a general feeling amongst the Ligue 1 fans I know that they want to see a Ligue 1 side win Europe. The only real chance is with PSG, and everybody knows that. Did you see how well they did the last time Seattle was in the CWC? Sure, new format, but that means even more quality clubs to play and lose to.
I think this is largely true for casual fans. They are less likely hung up on club affiliation. And duration of the league’s dry spell may factor into it. How many held their nose and supported Seattle because of 20+ years?