As much as I want the final to be home and away it was decided years ago that CONCACAF was going this route. Teams know what must be done to host a final.
Sticking with the subject of AFC Champions League it got me thinking on how CONCACAF and Conmebol can work together. AFC has 3 club tournaments similar to UEFA. Conmebol already has 2 and CONCACAF has one. If only they can merge and create the 3 club tournaments.
Look, I acknowledge there is a "system" in place to determine the host. I just think at six matches it's left vulnerable to a lucky draw and/or break. It sounds like we generally agree, but you worry about the optics of complaining. Silence will not effect change. During the 2022 CAF Champions League the "neutral" final venue was awarded as late as the semifinal stage. The only remaining bidder at that point was Casablanca, home of semifinalist Wydad AC. Wydad ended up beating Cairo's Al Ahly in the final but the uproar was so significant in Egypt that CAF immediately switched back to home and away the following year. Next year's AFC "final eight" is once again scheduled in Saudi Arabia. I sure hope all the East Asian clubs complain in a very public fashion about this severe disadvantage against the already high-spending PIF clubs. Circling back to the CCC, from a Whitecaps perspective, had they won the away leg 2:1 in Monterrey they would have finished in the "hosting table" with 12 points and a goal difference of +5. Identical to Cruz Azul. What's the next tiebreaker you ask? Goals scored, where the Whitecaps would have had 11 compared to Cruz Azul's 8. In summary, that 97th minute penalty awarded to Monterrey had a very material impact on the tournament. Cruz Azul would have had to beat Tigres by a goal difference of two on Thursday.
I think that was the idea but you need specific teams to pull that off. Only America, Chivas and Miami with Messi can pull it off anywhere in the US.
I have and many MLS fans have complained over the years about CCC not being fair due to scheduling. Always were told to stop with excuses. I guess that's why you don't see much complaining from MLS fans about the hosting rights. If Vancouver pull it off it will be even better since they will be doing it with all odds stacked against them.
But if we’re speaking to teams “knowing what they have to do to host” and the sporting integrity of the competition, you can’t just discard that. Cruz Azul could’ve won all 6 of their matches and had their hosting rights “revoked” because their opponent draws a big crowd. It’s farcical that it’s even a possibility.
Yes of course it's a possibility. It's CONCACAF. Or what's the argument? That it isn't fair that it is not played in neutral ground to help Vancouver out?
Venue, date, and time confirmed (no surprises): https://www.concacaf.com/champions-...-2025-concacaf-champions-cup-final-on-june-1/
Cruz Azul got eliminated in the Clausura semis and are now idle until the CCC final. Whitecaps Schedule May 20 - @Valour May 24 - @RSL May 28 - Minnesota Jun 1 - @CruzAzul
So MLS moved a midweek game before LAFC's CWC playoff against America, but not the midweek game before Vancouver's CCC final against Cruz Azul? Interesting...
Maybe Vancouver were given the choice. Check that Major League Soccer confirmed on Wednesday (May 7) that the Vancouver Whitecaps FC MLS regular season home match against Portland Timbers originally planned for Saturday, May 31 at BC Place has been rescheduled to Wednesday, September 24 at 7:30 p.m. PT. The new date is due to the 'Caps progression to the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup Final, which is set to take place on Sunday, June 1 against LIGA MX side Cruz Azul at Estadio Olímpico Universitario in Mexico City,
So they rescheduled the conflicting game, obviously, but not the midweek game to allow them to rest, unlike what they did for LAFC. Now, like you said, maybe they were given the option and chose not to reschedule but that seems an odd decision.
The Wiki entry cites “administrative problems and disagreements on the dates”. Whatever the ultimate reason, it’s definitely a quirky aspect of CCC history. While on the subject, a Cruz Azul win would equalise Club America’s record seven titles. But of course Club America still has that Giants Cup in their trophy case and (more importantly) two Copa Interamericana titles to strengthen the claim of most successful Concacaf club ever. 18 out of the last 20 titles have been won by Liga MX. The two that weren’t have a common loser - Pumas UNAM. Something that Pumas fans get to hear very often.
LAFC definitely getting all the help they can get with that CWC playoff. Also with the unearned privilege of hosting the match.
Suit yourself, but the CWC era (played regularly since 2005) is probably more relevant when it comes to Mexican motivation in the CCC.
The Canadian Championship ties are two legs, so Vancouver potentially has fewer midweek dates available. It's also possible that BC Place isn't available on certain dates that would be good for a reschedule as well. Maybe Minnesota declined the reschedule due to it falling during an international break?
On paper? - Yes. But they are playing away, and the tricampeón (soon to be tetracampeón?) just can’t seem to get it done in international play. It’s been nine years since the last CCC title. Add in an intense series against Toluca (with the second leg at the “Bombonera”), while LAFC just had their schedule alleviated, and I expect a close match.
Nobody is going to complain about this in concacaf because corruption is the norm and is fully expected and accepted.