The fourth edition of the CONCACAF Champions League begins Tuesday evening with the first two Preliminary Round matches of the eight series set to determining the other half of the group stage entrants for the 2011-12 competition. Reigning two-time US Open Cup champion and representative Seattle Sounders will kick things off in the opening match in their second CCL appearance while fellow current and upcoming US Open Cup semifinal opponent FC Dallas begins its debut CCL campaign Thursday.
Here is a look at the eight series that will be played over the course of the next two weeks.
Seattle Sounders (USA – MLS) vs San Francisco (Panama): The two clubs play Tuesday, July 26 and Wednesday, August 3. For more, see full TheCup.us feature [+]
FC Dallas (USA – MLS) vs Alianza (El Salvador): The pair begin the tournament Thursday, July 28 and finish the series Wednesday, August 3. For more, see full TheCup.us feature [+]
Toronto FC (Canada – MLS) vs Real Esteli (Nicaragua): The duo square off Wednesday, July 27 and will be the first to finish with the lone game Tuesday, August 2.
The Canadian side has made progression each year after being beaten out for the national title in 2008 by lower division Montreal. The next year they won the Nutrilite Canadian Championship, but were knocked out by another USL side, the Puerto Rico Islanders 1-0 on aggregate, in the Preliminary Round of the CCL. Last year, Toronto defeated Motagua (Honduras), 3-2, but struggled in group play with a record of 2-2-2. They surprised many, however, with a 2-1 win at home in the group play opener against Cruz Azul, but went winless in the next four before edging Arabe Unido (Panama), 1-0, in the finale.
Real Esteli and Nicaragua has not been in the tournament since losing in the Preliminary Round to Montreal in 2008. They fell 1-0 in Montreal in the first leg and played to a scoreless draw at home.
Puerto Rico Islanders (CFU – NASL) vs Isidro Metapan (El Salvador): The series will played both Wednesdays April 27 and August 3.
The giant slaying Islanders are back for their fourth appearance. The club made a name for itself for its run to the 2008-09 semifinals before bowing out in penalties, posting victories over established powers Alajuelense (Costa Rica) Santos Laguna (Mexico), Marathon (Honduras) and semifinal opponent Cruz Azul (Mexico). The following year they topped Toronto FC in the Preliminary Round before struggling in group play with a winless record that was somewhat highlighted by a 3-3 draw against Cruz Azul. Last year the Islanders shocked the LA Galaxy in the Preliminary Round with a 4-1 win at the Home Depot Center, but failed to advance from the group despite a 1-1 draw against Olimpia (Honduras) and a 3-2 win against Toluca (Mexico).
Metapan is also making its fourth appearance. They were knocked out in the Preliminary Round in its debut by Marathon and last year by the Sounders. In 2009-10 they were automatic group entrants, but were only able to post one positive result, downing Houston Dyanmo 3-2 in the group finale. It is the club’s only victory in three years (1-7-2).
Herediano (Costa Rica) vs Alpha United (Guyana): The series begins Tuesday, July 26 and concludes Thursday, August 4.
The Costa Rican side is back for its second appearance after missing the tournament a year ago. In 2009 Herediano was eliminated in the Preliminary Round by Cruz Azul from a 6-2 loss at home in the first leg, allowing the Mexican side to play reserves in a scoreless second leg.
Alpha United, meanwhile, is making the first appearance by any club from Guyana in the event after finishing third in the Caribbean Football Union championship via penalties after a 1-1 draw against Defence Force, shutting Trinidad & Tobago out of the CCL for the first time. Eventual CFU champion Puerto Rico needed overtime to defeat Final Four host Alpha United in the semifinals, 3-1.
Santos Laguna (Mexico) vs Olimpia (Honduras): The two teams play both games on Wednesdays July 27 and August 3.
An unfortunate pairing of arguably two of the strongest among the eight Preliminary Round clubs, the Mexican side is in the tournament for a third time and Olimpia for a fourth. Each has advanced from the group stage at least once in the past three years.
Santos Laguna reached the semifinals in the inaugural edition of the CCL in 2008-09 and made it to the quarterfinals last year after a year’s absence from the tournament. Last year the Mexican side began in the Preliminary Round with a dominating sweep of Trinidad’s San Juan Jabloteh, posting 1-0 road win and a 5-0 thumping at home. In the group stage they played Joe Public (Trinidad), Municipal (Guatemala) and the Columbus Crew, the only side they slipped up against, falling 1-0 on the road. In the quarters they were knocked out 5-1 on aggregate by Cruz Azul.
Olimpia has a checkered history, reaching the quarterfinals a year ago after suffering Preliminary Round elimination the year prior the only time they were not seeded into the group stage. The club was 2-2-2 in the group phase in its debut with a sweep of Joe Public, but a loss and draw against Montreal cost the club dearly. In 2009, the side won 2-1 at home against Panama’s Arabe Unido in the Preliminary Round opener, but was knocked out with a 1-0 loss in the second leg. Last year the club posted tied Puerto Rico 1-1 in the group opener and fell 4-0 in Mexico against Toluca before rattling off four consecutive wins to reach the quarters, where they were eliminated 3-1 by Saprissa (Costa Rica) on aggregate.
Morelia (Mexico) vs Tempete (Haiti): The duo will play Thursday, July 28 and Wednesday, August 3 with both legs being held in Mexico as the national stadium in Haiti is still under renovations.
It is the first time for both sides in the competition. While Mexico has had four teams in each edition of the event, Tempete is the first to qualify from Haiti in the current CCL format. The Haitian side stunned Defence Force in the CFU semifinals in penalties, 4-3, after a scoreless draw. They them took Puerto Rico to overtime before finishing runners-up in a 3-1 decision.
Motagua (Honduras) vs Municipal (Guatemala): It is the only series played on both Thursdays July 28 and August 4.
The Honduran club is back for its second CCL appearance after being eliminated in the Preliminary Round a year ago, 3-2 on aggregate, by Toronto FC. Motagua fell 1-0 on the road before playing to a 2-2 draw at home in which former MLS star Armado Guevara gave them the go-ahead goal twice.
Back for a third time, Municipal was directly seeded into the group stage the previous two appearances. In the first edition of the CCL the Guatemalan club’s only victory was against the giant-slaying Puerto Rico Islanders, 1-0, on the road, one of only two home losses the Islanders have suffered in three years (14 games). In their return last year, Municipal improved, but still were short of advancing with a 2-2-2 record in the group, defeating Joe Public on the road and the visiting Crew in back to back-games after a 0-1-2 start with the 2-2 draw against Santos Laguna sparking the rise in form.
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