CFU Championship continues, NCC nears

With the First Leg of the CONCACAF Champions League right around the corner, the Caribbean Football Union’s club championship tournament is a quarter of the way toward completing the field for the Final Four in Trinidad. In addition, the Nutrilite Canadian Championship is only a week away from the opening legs of the Semifinal contests. The two events account for four berths in the 2011-12 edition of the CCL.

Not having a home field proved fateful the second time around for USL Pro’s River Plate Puerto Rico as the club’s gallant attempt to play twice away from home in Guyana resulted in a narrow exit. They drew Alpha United in a scoreless affair in the opening leg April 15 and came up short in their attempt to rally in the second. Scoreless at halftime, things fell apart quickly with a red card eight minutes into the second, followed by a penalty and a second goal within five minutes. They fought back to close the gap to one twice, but the second goal in the 90^th proved too late as they fell 3-2.

Alpha United awaits the results of the other three series to see who will join them in the semifinals. Trinidad’s Defence Force is a likely addition as they lead 4-0 in the series against Milerock, a fellow club from Guyana. The series concludes this week April 22 as the third series begins. Defence Force hosts Milerock in the first match of a doubleheader with Caledonia AIA, who plays host to Haiti’s Tempete in the opening leg of the series, which concludes April 29.

Defending CFU Champion and three-time CCL participant Puerto Rico Islanders open defense of its title May 7. Seeded into Quarterfinals with a bye, the NASL’s Islanders visit Walking Boyz Co. in Suriname before finishing at home May 14.

The CFU Semifinals are slated for May 25 in Trinidad with the CFU Championship four days later. The top three clubs from the event advance to the CONCACAF Champions League.

Canadian newcomers FC Edmonton of the NASL make their Nutrilite Canadian Championship debut April 27 when they play host to Toronto FC. The Major League Soccer side has won the last two editions of the tournament after seeing the Montreal Impact, then members of the USL First Division (pro second division) win the inaugural running of the competition.

That same day, Montreal will be at home for the first leg of its two-leg, aggregate score series against the Vancouver Whitecaps, a former Impact league rival that is in its debut MLS season.

The two series conclude May 4 in Toronto and Vancouver, respectively, with the winners advancing to another aggregate series in the Championship Final May 18 and 25.