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Azzurri86
05-27-2009, 02:12 AM
Just a quick question... This is not to say I assume TFC will win the Canadian Championship but does anybody know or has it been released yet who the Canadian representative will face in the preliminary round of the Champions League?

Redpunkfiddle
05-27-2009, 08:16 AM
No, the draw has not taken place yet. Last year it was on June 11th or something. As the preliminary round is a month earlier this time at the end of July, I'd expect it to happen by then.

Much of the field is filling out with the Central American and Mexican leagues done or in their playoffs. Concacaf.com has the latest listings.

Lucky Strike
05-27-2009, 08:27 AM
Speaking of this, it was mentioned in another thread but it's worth discussing here, Belize lost its spot to add a 3rd Honduras team and Nicaragua may lose its spot if Real Esteli's stadium does not meeting CONCACAF requirements. Should that happen, Panama gets a third spot.

What I'm getting at is that whoever goes through for Canada has a greater chance at getting a much tougher draw than Montreal did.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CONCACAF_Champions_League_2009%E2%80%9310#Format

If you click the link, you'll notice that Pot A teams are drawn against Pot B teams in the preliminary round (it comes into play also for the group stage). And luckily, the Canadian slot is in the stronger Pot A which means we get easier draws but these two replacements (or one confirmed and one potential) are for the weakest teams in Pot B. All in all, could be tough for the Canadian representative.

flatpicker
05-27-2009, 08:47 AM
and while were discussing this...

when will CONCACAF realise that a two-leg final is very anticlimactic??!!

one game, for all the marbles! That's how it should be!

Beach_Red
05-27-2009, 09:11 AM
What I'm getting at is that whoever goes through for Canada has a greater chance at getting a much tougher draw than Montreal did.



Well, considering no one expected Montreal to be the Canadian representative and then no one expected them to win any games, all this 'tougher draw' stuff is too wide open.

Hitcho
05-27-2009, 12:50 PM
one game, for all the marbles! That's how it should be!



Hahahaha - classic quote Flats. I'd love to see that as a tagline for the World Cup final. :D

Shway
05-27-2009, 04:16 PM
and while were discussing this...

when will CONCACAF realise that a two-leg final is very anticlimactic??!!

one game, for all the marbles! That's how it should be!


you couldnt say that any better!!!

CDNSoccerFan
05-27-2009, 04:20 PM
where do they play it though?

Shway
05-27-2009, 04:23 PM
in the states somewhere...
or even mexico

Nazzer
05-27-2009, 04:36 PM
Last year the prelim draw had two pots.

Pot A: MEX3, Mex4, USA3, USA4, PAN1, CRC2, HON2, CAN
Pot B: Belize, NIcaragua, CFU1, CFU2, CFU3, PAN2, GUA2, EL Salv 2

Assuming that Real Espana go to the pot that the Belize team would have been and the third panama team takes the nicaragua spot; the V Cup winner should still have a good chance of progressing as long as they field their first team. Only real challenge would be the Real Espana if the form of the honduran teams last year was any indication.

T_Mizz
05-27-2009, 08:57 PM
and while were discussing this...

when will CONCACAF realise that a two-leg final is very anticlimactic??!!

one game, for all the marbles! That's how it should be!
Haha exactly right but I guess the problem is that they don't play it in a neutral location like the uefa champions league

flatpicker
05-28-2009, 11:13 AM
Haha exactly right but I guess the problem is that they don't play it in a neutral location like the uefa champions league


they only reason they don't play in a neutral location is because of the home-and-away final.

I think if they chose a venue and promoted the big CL Final, you could get a good response.

Since Mexico still dominates, I would say, put the Final in the States (close to Mexico), or in Mexico itself.
At least until MLS clubs start getting more consistently successful in the competition.

T_Mizz
05-28-2009, 04:02 PM
it's a bit of a chicken/egg situation, is it the two game final that causes the lack of a neutral site or the lack of a neutral site that causes the two game final.

Redpunkfiddle
05-28-2009, 07:19 PM
The draw is June 11th.

http://www.concacaf.com/view_article.aspx?id=4755

T_Mizz
05-28-2009, 09:00 PM
Is the video going to be up before we find out who the draws are, because otherwise i'd never watch that crapfest again, no offence but make the balls easier to open next time:D

Canary Canuck
05-29-2009, 12:45 AM
Not a fan of Panama getting another spot. Costa Rica deserves a 3rd spot.

RealG-TFC
05-29-2009, 05:35 AM
^^ Not a fan of either. Nicaragua deserves that spot.

devioustrevor
05-29-2009, 05:38 AM
Not a fan of Panama getting another spot. Costa Rica deserves a 3rd spot.


Not based on last year. Saprissa do alright (big surprise, I know), but Alajuelense wasn't very good at all not even making it to the group stages (they were beat 3-2 on Aggregate by Puerto Rico Islanders). Whereas both Panamanian teams made the group stages. There is a big discussion about this over at Big Soccer.

Cas87
05-29-2009, 08:40 AM
Looking at who is in what pot for the draw, it would be a better road for TFC if we get drawn against the Puerto Rico Islanders. Just a thought

nfitz
05-29-2009, 09:15 AM
Looking at who is in what pot for the draw, it would be a better road for TFC if we get drawn against the Puerto Rico Islanders.Yikes - I'd have thought that would be the worst-case scenario. They were one of the 4 semi-finalists last year. I'd think our best hopes would be to draw one of the Trinidian teams, Nicarauga, Guatemala, or Panama. Belize would have been perfect - but they've been replaced by a decent Honduran side.

Cas87
05-29-2009, 09:37 AM
Yikes - I'd have thought that would be the worst-case scenario. They were one of the 4 semi-finalists last year. I'd think our best hopes would be to draw one of the Trinidian teams, Nicarauga, Guatemala, or Panama. Belize would have been perfect - but they've been replaced by a decent Honduran side.

Yeah, because we can always go on what everyone did last year ... Montreal?

nfitz
05-29-2009, 09:44 AM
Yeah, because we can always go on what everyone did last year ... Montreal?What, you think that suddenly there's quality league play in Nicarauga or Guatemala?

Besides, last year we beat Montreal once; this year we've beaten Montreal once.

Toronto Ruffrider
05-29-2009, 10:47 AM
What, you think that suddenly there's quality league play in Nicarauga or Guatemala?

Besides, last year we beat Montreal once; this year we've beaten Montreal once.

I'd take Nicaraguan over Guatemalan opponents any day. Nicaragua and Belize are the dregs of Central American football, both at the club and national level. It's pretty well guaranteed that this year's opponent will be tougher.

RealG-TFC
05-29-2009, 08:34 PM
Not based on last year. Saprissa do alright (big surprise, I know), but Alajuelense wasn't very good at all not even making it to the group stages (they were beat 3-2 on Aggregate by Puerto Rico Islanders). Whereas both Panamanian teams made the group stages. There is a big discussion about this over at Big Soccer.

The Champions League should be a league of champions for all CONCACAF, no matter how bad, or how poor they may be.

Canary Canuck
05-30-2009, 01:31 AM
Not based on last year. Saprissa do alright (big surprise, I know), but Alajuelense wasn't very good at all not even making it to the group stages (they were beat 3-2 on Aggregate by Puerto Rico Islanders). Whereas both Panamanian teams made the group stages. There is a big discussion about this over at Big Soccer.

Sorry, I was using common sense rather than a one year analysis. Panamanian clubs have been whipping boys in the old UNCAF central american club championship while costa rican clubs have ruled the roost with the most titles. And before you say it's just the big clubs from CR, Puntarenas won it recently as well. Even Guatemalan clubs have been far superior than Panamanian clubs. Keep in mind that the Panamanian league is barely semi-pro. Tauro only got by Chivas because the Chivas players wanted nothing to do with the Champions league having already had to play in superliga and deal with an insane fixture pile up in the fall.