One of the commentators on the first leg said that the winner will get around $400k. He also said the the winner off the fifa club world cup will get $5 mil. the MLS superliga was paying $1mil so that they were able to attract the Mexican teams.
Actually the CCL winner is looking at USD 1.5 million: - USD 500K (paid by CONCACAF) - USD 1M (paid by FIFA - the CONCACAF team can not finish lower than 6th) By Comparison: CAF - USD 1.5M (paid by CAF) - USD 1M (paid by FIFA) Total: 2.5M AFC - USD 1.8M (Paid by the AFC) - USD 1M (paid by FIFA) Total: 2.8M Again, these are the minimum amounts a team is looking at. The FIFA amount can reach up to 5M depending on CWC finish.
$1.5 million divided among 28/30 players, could be a pretty good pay check especially for those guys making $40k.....
Yeah because the FIFA World Club Cup is a fairly new concept. Before the winner of the Concacaf got to play the winner of the Conmebol and that was it. I think DC United won the last Copa Interamericana in 1998....
What are you comparing it to? The competition in every other tournament and cup in CONCACAF pales in comparison, including MLS Cup.
Because they're better. Since introducing home and away matches in Concacaf's championship, out of 10 seasons only 1/10 has not featured a Mexican team and 6/10 have been between 2 Mexicans in any given year, I'd say there are maybe 1-3 teams outside of Mexico that can fit into their top 10. Some years there are none.
RSL is only 6 years old while C.F. Monterrey is 66 years old. They are a new team from a young league and you can see the difference in their play on the pitch. They are better because they are fitter, stronger and faster and most of all their buget is a lot bigger. I'm sure in years to come the tides will turn and I hope RSL wins the return leg on their turf and they may have an advantage with the altitude and weather. For now though as a general rule, the Mexican League is still king.
I have not said the Mexican clubs have not performed better. Neither have I said the Mexican league isn't the strongest overall; it is. I am not sure what your point is. My point is that the CCL features the best clubs from around CONCACAF, the majority of which are obviously from Mexico, but most of which are quality teams. A few of the teams are weak, but so is the bottom of any league. In any case, the CCL is the only competition that can truly crown a regional champion. I am not sure what is more meaningful than that. The added bonus of representing our region in the CWC just makes it more so.
You said the competition in every other tournament pales in comparison. That is not true. It is tougher to win the Mexican league than to win CCL.
How can Monterrey being around 60 years longer be seen on the pitch? Serious question; how many players does Monterrey have on their roster that were playing for them in 2004? Also, what makes you say Monterrey is on average fitter, stronger and faster than RSL? I am not sure what game you are basing your opinion on, but last Wednesday neither team clearly dominated the match.
Got it..... HUH????? The club is 66 years old! they have a set fan base , a stadium and years and years of revenue and history. I'm sure that counts for something. Not sure what it has to do with anything but just because they haven't been with Monterrey their whole carrers what does this prove? Sergio Santana has been in the league since 1999, Aldo de Nigris since 02, Duilio Davino and 35 year old Mexican league veteran since 1993, Ricardo Osorio since 2000 , Jonathan Orozco 04, Jesús Arellano since 1992 and 2000 respectively, Luis Ernesto Pérez since 03, Neri Cardozo played with Boca Juniors since 04, Walter Ayoví has been a pro since 2000, Humberto Suazo a pro since 2000. These guys were pros before RSL was even dreamed up. This means a lot and it helps in the clubhouse on and off the pitch and their experience also helps the younger players whether they are starting or not. I don't know what you were watching but Monterrey kept coming down the wings in waves and RSL was standing around and could not stop them. Anyone who understands the game can clearly see that.
Sure, based on number of games required to win it, the Mexican league is tougher. So is MLS. However, the Mexican league is not stacked top to bottom. They have plenty of crap teams, as does MLS, and as does the CCL. Only the CCL puts the best of each league against each other. I guess we will see how easy it is tomorrow.
RSL winning or losing has nothing to do with my argument. My argument is that most teams in CCL are crap, the fact that they are champions of their leagues is irrelevant. They are mostly crap. Filler. Also, all 18 teams in the Mexican league are better than 99% of all the other clubs in concacaf. That's where we stand right now. RSL winning tomorrow won't change that. When Mexican teams begin to regularly fail to qualify for the KO rounds or even the group stages, then we can talk.
You said you could see the age of the clubs reflected on the pitch. I'm saying that's nonsense. RSL's players didn't all start their careers six years ago either. When the players step on the pitch, I doubt any of them will be thinking about how long Monterrey has been around. What matters most is individual quality and how it meshes into a team. Six years is more than enough. The game I was watching was the one where RSL traveled to Monterrey and played well at times, not so well at other times. It ended 2-2. Did you see that game?
Winning or losing a tournament that includes four of Mexico's top teams and the best the other leagues have to offer, playing not just for the regional title, but for a chance to represent against the biggest clubs in the world -- that would have nothing to do with your argument? OK. My argument is that the CCL, as imperfect as it may be, is the only vehicle to determine which team is best -- not in someone's opinion, but by competing. In that sense, it is more important than any other competition in CONCACAF. We will find out which team that is tomorrow; however, it must be good to believe it won't matter if Monterrey loses and that they will still be better than RSL. Can I have some of that?
I never said that Monterrey will still be better than RSL. I said the tournament is crap because it has no prestige. It is crap because there are too many crap teams. Once again, you don't get it. Winning Copa Libertadores or the UEFA Champions League is an accomplishment in and of itself. It is not that much younger than Copa Libertadores and the UEFA Champions League, yet there is almost no history to speak of. Competing in CWC is not what teams think about when they play in those tournaments. The important thing is winning that tournament. For example, it was a huge deal for Chivas to make the final of Libertadores, even though, as outsiders, there was no CWC spot available for them. Think about that. Once again, CCL is filled with crap teams. Winning it carries little prestige because of one dominant nation that has shown that their teams can sleepwalk and still do well. When other teams can consistently challenge them, maybe it will change. When there are fewer crap teams, maybe it will change.
I did not say this. I'm saying the experience Monterrey has doesn't even equal or come close to anything RSL has. You are welcome to your opinion but regardless of what you think, I happen to believe experience means quite a lot and 6 years of MLS play as opposed to a lifetime of MFL experience, is like comparing apples and oranges and thats a fact. Yes I did see the game but they were outclassed. This isn't saying I'm not happy for RSL or that they tied the game because I deeply want them to win this cup. Still, Monterrey should have won easily.