Comments on: CONCACAF Champions League: A Good Idea?

By: joseph laplante

joseph laplante — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:05:27 +0000

mexico and usa have combined to win 8 of the 9 concacaf gold cup.The years are (1991,2002,2005,2007)for USA and(1993, 1996,1998,2003)forMEXICO

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:14:58 +0000

Like many MLS fans, I favor moving to a single table and eliminating the two divisions along with the MLS Cup playoffs. The main focus for clubs should be their position in the regular season table, not on making it to the playoffs. Some sort of international tournament like the proposed Champions League would facilitate a switch to a single table format by giving a reward for the best regular season performances and compensation for eliminating the within-MLS playoffs.

The problem with the proposed CONCACAF Champions League is that your typical MSL fan won’t find match-ups against teams from other CONCACAF countries (other than Mexico perhaps) very compelling or glamorous. Copa Libertadores, on the other hand, would be great, but getting CONMEBOL to let MLS have spots in the tournament would seem like quite a stretch.

By: Tom Dunmore

Tom Dunmore — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:46:26 +0000

ursus, I knew you’d shoehorn that idea in eventually. Yes, it’s a good one, and yes, it has zero chance of happening unfortunately. On the other hand, we will probably see more and more North American teams “guesting” in South American tournaments, and perhaps one day, even the reverse. That could be the start of something bigger.

Evan, would it be a crazy idea to merge InterLiga with Superliga to determine some of the qualifiers?

By: ursus arctos

ursus arctos — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:25:13 +0000

Timoteo opens the door for me to repeat my favorite suggestion in this context:

Abolish CONCACAF; have one federation for the Americas; put Jack Warner and Julio Grondona in a steel cage match to determine the new president and fix it so that neither emerges in any condition to serve; appoint Peter Wilt. Everybody wins.

But that ain’t going to happen. Sure this is flawed, but I would see it as a step forward, and preferable to the made-for-Televisa ersatz competition that is the Superliga.

By: Evan

Evan — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:43:41 +0000

“WVHooligan is concerned that along with the Superliga between MLS and Mexican clubs, founded last year, this is potentially tournament overkill.”

Besides tournament overkill for MLS clubs, how do you think the Mexican clubs feel? They have the InterLiga competition as well, to determine the Mexican qualifiers for the Copa Libertadores.

By: Timoteo

Timoteo — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:03:51 +0000

NO TO THIS TOURNAMENT. INSTEAD TEAMS SHOULD BE PLAYING IN THE COPA LIBERTADORES AND THE COPA SUDAMERICANA AGAINST THE BEST TEAMS IN THE AMERICAS. AND THE CHAMPION OF THE US CUP SHOULD GET A BERTH AT ONE OF THOSE TOURNAMENTS.

By: Paul Scanling

Paul Scanling — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:49:27 +0000

I’m in the Witness Protection Program. I’m writing from somewhere in Zingali.

Granted we are decades behind Europe and South America in terms of continental competitions, but it doesn’t look to me like we learned anything from everyone else’s format, mistakes, and adjustments. I know it’s completely unrealistic to expect every country to operate on the same calendar. We can’t play in northern cities in the winter without dome stadiums, which doesn’t go over well with plastic grass. However, MLS has to realize that to participate in these competitions with a chance of winning, the league must make some changes to give their teams a chance. International breaks for those teams must be built into the schedule. Europe has countries that operate on a similar calendar to MLS and their schedule is adjusted to accommodate the Champions League.

I’ll crawl back into my hole now. Wait, who’s that knocking on my door?

By: Tom Dunmore

Tom Dunmore — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 03:31:29 +0000

Blimey Paul, Jack Warner might have you knocked off for poking so many holes in his grand plan. You raise a lot of good points, though I am inclined to cut Concacaf and MLS a bit of slack — this region is at a much earlier stage of footballing development as a whole than Europe. It’s not like Europe’s always had a well-organised continental tournament. These things take time, but one does wish a few more details had been ironed out when they announced it, certainly.

Incidentally, Univision will be broadcasting all games in Spanish in the U.S., no word on an English-language broadcaster.

Hedi, there is always talk about MLS moving its schedule to a split season, with a winter break (it would be impossible to have matches in places like Toronto or Chicago from December to February). But it seems unlikely as it’s feared attendance would crash through the floor. Also, don’t forget not all of Europe is on the same schedule, as the timing of the Champions League isn’t ideal for countries like Russia.

By: Hedi

Hedi — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 03:17:43 +0000

Is there any chance from MLS to change their schedule and adapt with Champions League schedule? Or maybe, members of CONCACAF should make a rythm in each domestic schedule. That’s exactly what UEFA does in Europe. Their calendar is one rythm.

(sorry for my poor english)

By: Paul Scanling

Paul Scanling — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 02:40:40 +0000

Who plays in the qualifications? What countries? What’s the format for the group stages? How does MLS determine it’s participants? Are players cup tied? If a player moves from one team in the tournament to another in the “offseason”, can they play? Fixture congestion? How can it be a real tournament with so much time off between group stage and knockout stage? Why put it in the most important part of the MLS season? Do they really want teams to have to play in Costa Rica three days before an important home match? With limitations on the size of MLS rosters, will depth be a factor? (Um, yes…) Broadcast rights? If Canadian USL teams can qualify, why can’t American USL teams? (US Open Cup Champs automatic spot?)

And people wonder why the rest of the world thinks MLS is a Mickey Mouse League…

Play Up Pompey!!!!