Preliminary round pairing, four-team groups determined
NEW YORK -- Last season's runner-up Cruz Azul will face Costa Rica's Herediano in the Preliminary Round of the 2009-2010 CONCACAF Champions League, one of eight pairings established in Thursday's draw.
Fellow Mexican side Pachuca, the 2008 CONCACAF Champions Cup winner, will take on the No. 2 team from Guatemala (either Comunicaciones or Jalapa), while the New York Red Bulls will play W Connection of Trinidad, and D.C. United will face off against Chalatenango of El Salvador.
The full schedule and order of matches will be announced later when the last qualifiers are confirmed and the schedule makers can accommodate the various league fixtures, schedule conflicts and commercial considerations. Three places remain undecided: the second berths from Panama and Guatemala as well as the Canadian spot.
The last spots from Panama and Guatemala will be decided by Sunday, while Canada's berth has been reduced to Toronto FC or the Vancouver Whitecaps. That place will be determined Wednesday.
Other Preliminary Round pairings include the top Panamanian side (either Arabe Unido or San Francisco) against San Juan Jabloteh of Trinidad; Olimpia of Honduras against the No. 2 Panamanian club (either Arabe Unido or Chorrillo); Liberia of Costa Rica against Real Espana of Honduras; and the Canadian championship winner against the Puerto Rico Islanders.
"With a core group of retuning teams, the addition of more than 50 percent of new clubs will guarantee many surprises and a lot of excitement," CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer said.
The draw also allocated the eight seeded teams into four, four-team group for the second phase, and placed them with the winners from the Preliminary Round.
The Houston Dynamo, a quarterfinalist last season, will head Group A with Metapan of El Salvador, the winner of the Pachuca-Guatemala pairing and the winner between Olimpia and its Panamanian opponent.
Group B will include Mexican Apertura champion Toluca along with Marathon of Honduras, also a quarterfinalist last season, either D.C. United or Chalatenango, and the winner between San Juan Jabloteh and its Panamanian foe.
The USA champion Columbus Crew will be in Group C with Saprissa of Costa Rica, either Cruz Azul or Heridiano, and the winner between the Canadian champion and the Puerto Rico Islanders. The last quartet, Group D, will consist of Mexican Clausura champion Pumas, the top-seeded team from Guatemala (either Comunicaciones or Municipal), the New York Red Bulls-W Connection winner and either Liberia or Real Espana.
A video of the Champions League draw will be available on CONCACAF.com.
PRELIMINARY ROUND
Arabe Unido-San Francisco (PAN) vs. San Juan Jabloteh (TRI)
Pachuca (MEX) vs. Comunicaciones-Jalapa (GUA)
New York Red Bulls (USA) vs. W Connection (TRI)
Olimpia (HON) vs. Arabe Unido/Chorrillo (PAN)
Cruz Azul (MEX) vs. Herediano (CRC)
D.C. United (USA) vs. Chalatenango (SLV)
Liberia (CRC) vs. Real Espana (HON)
Vancouver Whitecaps/Toronto FC (CAN) vs. Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR)
GROUP STAGE
Group A
Houston Dynamo (USA)
Metepan (SLV)
Pachuca (MEX)-Guatemala No. 2 ( Comunicaciones or Jalapa)
Olimpia
Group B
Toluca (MEX)
Marathon (HON)
D.C. United- (USA)-Chalatenango (SLV) winner
San Juan Jabloteh (TRI)-Panama No. 1 (Arabe Unido or San Francisco FC)
Group C
Columbus Crew (USA)
Saprissa (CRC)
Cruz Azul (MEX)-Herediano (CRC) winner
Canada No. 1 (Toronto FC or Vancouver Whitecaps)
Group D
Pumas UNAM (MEX)
Comunicaciones/Municipal (GUA)
New York Red Bulls (USA)-W Connection (TRI)
Liberia (CRC)-Real Espana (HON)
D.C. United-Chalatenango to open 2009-2010 CONCACAF Champions League.
6/16/2009 - MIAMI – Returnee D.C. United will host El Salvador’s Chalatenango on Tuesday, July 28 to start the 2009-2010 CONCACAF Champions League, one of three Preliminary Round matches scheduled to open the tournament.
The Canadian champion, either the Vancouver Whitecaps or Toronto FC, will host the Puerto Rico Islanders and Guatemala’s Jalapa will be home against Pachuca of Mexico in later games. San Francisco FC of Panama will be home against San Juan Jabloteh of Trinidad on Wednesday, July 29, with Liberia Mia of Costa Rica hosting Honduran side Real Espana later that day.
The schedule was announced at the second annual CONCACAF Champions League Summit at the Intercontinental West Miami hotel, a gathering of all 24 participating teams to acquaint them with the other clubs as well as the tournament’s rules, regulations, requirements and protocols.
The first leg will finish on Thursday, July 30, with W Connection of Trinidad hosting the New York Red Bulls, followed by Cruz Azul of Mexico at home against Costa Rica’s Herediano, and Olimpia of Honduras against Arabe Unido of Panama.
The second leg will begin a week later with the Puerto Rico Islanders at home against either Vancouver or Toronto, and Chalatenango facing D.C. United in El Salvador on Tuesday, August 4.
The following day, the New York Red Bulls will travel to Trinidad to play W Connection; Pachuca will play at Jalapa; and Hereidano will play Cruz Azul in Mexico City.
The Preliminary Round will conclude with Arabe Unido at home against Olimpia of Honduras, San Juan Jabloteh hosting San Francicso, and Real Espana welcoming Liberia. The winners will advance to the Group Stage, which will begin with the first round of games the week of August 18-20.
PRELIMINARY ROUND SCHEDULE
(All Times USA Eastern; home teams listed first)
(Provisional)
FIRST LEG
Tuesday, July 28
D.C. United (USA) vs. Chalatenango (SLV), 8 p.m.
Vancouver Whitecaps or Toronto FC (CAN) vs.
Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR), 10 p.m. Jalapa (GUA) vs. Pachuca (MEX), 10 p.m.
Wednesday, July 29
San Francisco (PAN) vs. San Juan Jabloteh, 8 p.m.
Liberia (CRC) vs. Real Espana (HON), 10 p.m.
Thursday, July 30
W Connection (TRI) vs. New York Red Bulls (USA), 8 p.m.
Cruz Azul (MEX) vs. Herediano (CRC), 10 p.m.
Olimpia (HON) vs. Arabe Unido (PAN), 10 p.m.
SECOND LEG
Tuesday, August 4
Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR) vs. Vancouver or Toronto (CAN), 8 p.m.
Chalatenango (SLV) vs. D.C. United (USA), 10 p.m.
Wednesday, August 5
New York Red Bulls (USA) vs. W Connection (TRI), 8 p.m.
Pachuca (MEX) vs. Jalapa (GUA), 8 p.m.
Herediano (CRC) vs. Cruz Azul (MEX), 10 p.m.
Thursday, August 6
Arabe Unido (PAN) vs. Olimpia (HON), 8 p.m.
San Juan Jabloteh (TRI) vs. San Francisco (PAN), 8 p.m.
Real Espana (HON) vs. Liberia (CRC), 10 p.m.