D.C. United will host its first CONCACAF Champions League match of the year on July 28 (vs. Chalatenango of El Salvador) while the New York Red Bulls will host its first Champions League match on Aug. 5. (vs. W Connection of Trinidad & Tobago), a week after traveling for its first competitive international match on July 30.
As for Toronto FC fans? You can start booking your trip to Puerto Rico around Aug. 4th, when TFC travels to take on the USL Islanders.
Those matches were two of the ones whose dates and times were announced by CONCACAF on Tuesday. The full schedule for the two-leg preliminary round of the CONCACAF Champions League is now set, meaning you can begin making your travel plans.
Here is the full schedule:
CONCACAF Champions League
PRELIMINARY ROUND SCHEDULE
Times local (USA Eastern in parentheses); home teams listed first (MLS Teams in Bold)
FIRST LEG
Tuesday, July 28
D.C. United (USA) vs. Chalatenango (SLV), 8 p.m. (8 p.m.)
Pachuca (MEX) vs. Jalapa (GUA), 9 p.m. (10 p.m.)
Wednesday, July 29
Toronto FC (CAN) vs. Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR), 8 p.m. (8 p.m.)
San Francisco (PAN) vs. San Juan Jabloteh (TRI), 7 p.m. (8 p.m.)
Liberia (CRC) vs. Real Espana (HON), 8 p.m. (10 p.m.)
Thursday, July 30
W Connection (TRI) vs. New York Red Bulls (USA), 8 p.m. (8 p.m.)
Herediano (CRC) vs. Cruz Azul (MEX), 8 p.m. (10 p.m.)
Olimpia (HON) vs. Arabe Unido (PAN), 8 p.m. (10 p.m.)
SECOND LEG
Tuesday, August 4
Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR) vs. Toronto FC (CAN), (8 p.m.)
Jalapa (GUA) vs. Pachuca (MEX), 8 p.m. (10 p.m.)
Chalatenango (SLV) vs. D.C. United (USA), 8 p.m. (10 p.m.)
Wednesday, August 5
New York Red Bulls (USA) vs. W Connection (TRI), 8 p.m. (8 p.m.)
Cruz Azul (MEX) vs. Herdiano (CRC), 7 p.m. (8 p.m.)
Thursday, August 6
Arabe Unido (PAN) vs. Olimpia (HON), 7 p.m. (8 p.m.)
San Juan Jabloteh (TRI) vs. San Francisco (PAN), 8 p.m. (8 p.m.)
Real Espana (HON) vs. Liberia (CRC), 8 p.m. (10 p.m.)
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What do you think of the schedule? Will you be traveling to the Caribbean or Central America to support your team?
Share your thoughts below.
@Jose-Take it easy on RK. LOL. Haterz hate. That is what they do.
I like your orange passion.
We are outsiders. Different federation affiliation, different league.
It’s all good. I’m glad that we are different. I freaking love it. Let the haterz hate.
I kind of find it humorous that we still get no respect.
Especially coming from some people who follow MLS (which many would argue is “minor” league).
Vamos Tropa Naranja!
Unless of course they sign a Canadian DP currently playing in Spain…..
Phil >> Why not highlight the Islanders?
RK >>>> Because they are a minor league team?
Ignorance…
The Islanders are the best CCL 2008-09 team outside of Mexico, and they didn’t get there facing teams full of subs.
TFC got eliminated last year by two of your such “minor league teams”. This year TFC didn’t get eliminated by the “minors” because the “minors” fielded their subs in the final game.
TFC will go down in the preliminary round. They won’t be facing any USL subs this time around.
1st leg conflicts with MLS all-star game
I hope the Red Bulls can kick it up a notch for this tournament. It is realisticially the only trophy they can actually with this year. Out of the Open Cup and completely out of it in the league. They should throw everything they have at this compition so that their followers have some thing to look forward to as Red Bull arena gets closer to openning.
I also like the CCL. I think SR has it right.
But as to how serious the franchises take the competition(this or any other) might depend on the prize money.
The last numbers I saw were(meaning they might be wrong) …
US Open – $100,000
SuperLia – $1,000,000
CCL – $70,000
And this money goes to the club. The players only get a slice.
That being said, the ‘big’ prize is the winner going to the FIFA Club World Cup.
Last year the same 4 MLS teams were in both CCL and SuperLiga. This year with each competition containing different MLS teams, I hope MLS teams will take it more seriously. With that said, I think you can expect to see MLS teams in the group stage field a combination first and reserve team at first, and the alter line ups accordingly to qualify or play out the string depending on how the group stage starts.
Columbus and the RedBulls got in for being MLS Cup finalists. DC United got in for being the US Open Cup winner. The Supporter Shield winner gets a bid, but since Columbus was already in, Houston took that spot.
I agree — Champions League is more important than SuperLiga. Hopefully the MLS teams will take it more seriously than they did last year. Unfortunately, quality of team depth becomes a concern. And the semis and final are during the MLS off-season. But having said all that, I really like this tournament. It think it’s great that all the CONCACAF nations are represented.
Didn’t the MetroStars play in the Copa Merconorte and the Giants Cup back in the day? I assume some of those matches were held outside of the country.
Like others I really got into this tournament last year. I am really looking forward to watching it this year. I am out of the country this year, anyone know of a way to watch the games online?
Ives, any word on whether the Red Bulls home leg will be played at Giants Stadium or will it be at a different site?
Here are the details on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CONCACAF_Champions_League_2009%E2%80%9310
I think those are the preliminary matches. There are other teams that already have their tickets punched so their schedules are pending upon the results of the matches posted above.
How are the teams determined?
Why aren’t the Crew or Fire playing
CCL should be pretty fun to watch this year. Some first time MLS clubs will shake things up along with the usual suspects (DC, HOU) I really hope MLS represents well. Why? Because although young and not really prestigious around the world, viewers still pay attention to the results of competitions like these. If we want a bigger international fan base and credentials in the MLS, our clubs need to start dominating these things. Foreign players will see it and like the idea of playing in an up and coming international competition like UEFA, Libertadores, etc.
It should be good and I’m rooting for newcomers like NY and Columbus. Maybe they’ll come in with a serious mindset and shake up the Mexican dynasty in these club competitions.
Tweed – how seriously it’s taken depends on the team. MLS teams have shown little regard for it in general so far, well, lasat season given that’s all we’ve got to go off with both NE and DC fielding 2nd teams throughout the tournament. Hence why all 4 MLS sides went out and two USL sides remained in.
Hoepfully it’s a different story this year.
I’m hoping to make some games following Toronto.
Chris,
The Columbus Crew are already through to the Group Stage dumb dumb. This is qualifying games only to see who joins them and the Houston Dynamo.
Columbus is in CONCACAF Champion’s League. They qualified to Group Stages.
Boss – Last year I ended up getting a lot more into it then I thought, and was even looking forward more to those games then the UEFA champs league games. Last year I enjoyed it because of how well the USL was doing. This year it would be nice if MLS gave a damn.
How id Ny Red Bulls qualify for this? Winning the East? You gotta be kidding me! Columbus deserves to be in, not pathetic NY.
Because they are a minor league team?
Tweed: what Jordan said. SuperLiga came first, but the Champions League is more significant. SL is just a preseason warmup for Mexican teams, and a chance to make $$. The better MLS teams play in the CL, while the next tier play in the SL.
Why not highlight the Islanders?
Thanks Jordan
Boss Tweed: I think Champions League is taken more seriously, due to the fact that it is the whole continent and not just MLS and the Mexican League. As these tournaments evolve, Superliga will be more like the UEFA Cup compared to the Champions League.
I don’t follow MLS or CONCACAF clubs, but I’d like to start. For those who do: is this taken more seriously than the Superliga?