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Sporting KC face Saprissa, Red Bulls to meet Canadian champs after CCL group draw

Thierry Henry

By IVES GALARCEP

The New York Red Bulls will be facing a familiar foe in the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League, with the reigning MLS Supporters Shield holders set to face the winner of the Toronto FC/Montreal Impact Canadian Championship Final.

The eight three-team groups were determined for the 2014/2015 CONCACAF Champions League, with Sporting Kansas City drawn in against perennial Costa Rican power Deportivo Saprissa and the Portland Timbers drawn into a group including Honduran side CD Olimpia.

D.C. United will face Panamanian power Tauro FC in their group stage match-up. The groups consist of a home-and-away, four-game format, from August to October.  The winner of each group advances to the quarterfinals, which will take place in early 2015.

Here are how all eight groups were drawn:

 2014/2015 CONCACAF Champions League Groups

Group 1:  Pachuca (Mexico), Real España (Honduras), Municipal (Guatemala)
Group 2:  Sporting Kansas City (USA), Saprissa (Costa Rica), Real Esteli (Nicaragua)
Group 3:  New York Red Bulls (USA), Toronto FC or Impact de Montreal (Canada), FAS (El Salvador)
Group 4:  Tauro FC (Panama), D.C. United (USA), Waterhouse FC (Jamaica)
Group 5:  Olimpia (Honduras), Portland Timbers (USA), Alpha United (Guyana)
Group 6:  Alajuelense (Costa Rica), Cruz Azul (Mexico), Chorrillo FC (Panama)
Group 7:  Leon (Mexico), Isidro Metapan (El Salvador), Belmopan Bandits (Belize)
Group 8:  Comunicaciones (Guatemala), Club America (Mexico), Puerto Rico Bayamon FC (Puerto Rico)

Comments

  1. Ok. So if I’m going to go support Bayamon then I’ll have to travel back to PR (which ain’t gonna really work much better for me, either).

    I was really hoping that they’d get put in a group with an MLS side just to go support them (like the good ole Islanders’ days).

    Luck of the (traveling supporter’s) draw.

    Oh, well… That’s just how it goes sometimes.

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  2. AzTeXan, Google Guyana. It is in South America, bordered by Brazil, Suriname and Venezuela. Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana are all members of CONCACAF, even though they are in South America.

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  3. Not entirely relevant, but does anyone else hate how the knockout rounds are seeded? None of the 8 advancing teams play each other in the group stage. If they all won their group, how can CONCACAF say one is better than another? IMO there should be a quarterfinal draw of some kind.

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  4. No easy but all winable groups. Whoever wins the NY-TFC (unless MIFC get in) group might have the best shot. Idk maybe Portland or Kansas get past the ligaMX teams in the knockout rounds.

    Im hoping NYRB bring in a big DP and improve their team this fall

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  5. If MLS teams can never beat mexican teams, will this year will be even worse. You have America, Cruz azul, Leon and pachuca the expert in international tournaments,
    No way MLS team wins this year, those teams are loaded with MONEY and TOP TALENT and UNLUCKILY with the top four coaches in Mexico right now.
    Let’s just dream and love our MLS parity and rules. We love our salary cap and cozy talent.

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  6. Wow, have fun traveling to South America Portland! I don’t even want to know what the travel time from Portland to Guyana is. Never mind yes I do, checking…ahahaha. Might as well be playing in Europe.

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    • SKC has two long trips too, and DC also goes overseas twice (though Jamaica is closer). RBNY may actually have gotten lucky, travel-wise, with just one trip to Central America.

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      • Yeah almost everyone has to deal with crazy travel in CONCACAF but Portland to Guyana absolutely takes the cake.

      • “Do you even CONCACAF bro” . . . No, I don’t usually ‘CONCACAF” bro, but I do know where Guyana is, and realize that they, along with French Guyana, and Suriname are all in CONCACAF, not CONMEBOL.

      • Israel is in UEFA even though technically the country is in Western Asia. Australia moved from Oceania to the AFC.
        Anybody have any other examples of teams that don’t belong to their logical football confederation?

      • Bro! If there was only some way to instantly verify information about nearly anything, like say geography, how handy would that be! Just imagine how much smarter and more knowledgeable people would be if we lived in such a world!

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