HexagonalBlog

CCL Regulations Document: The Competition

I've read the Rules and Regulations document for the Champions League a couple of times since they were released on Monday.  They answer some questions but leave some critical issues unresolved.   It's going to take several posts to summarize the competition and state all of the comments that I want to make. 

One important disclaimer is that I AM NOT A LAWYER.  I say that because there are some terms and clauses in the R&R document that have raised questions in my mind, and I am not certain how they could be interpreted.  I will back-reference to the document and I invite comments.

Anyway, here are some new details about the competition that haven't been revealed before:

• Teams must submit a 30-man roster at two opportunities: at the start of the Champions League season, and between the end of the Group Stage and the start of the knockout rounds.  Once someone is on the roster list, they cannot be removed, and they're cup-tied as well.
• From that 30-man roster, a 23-man squad list must be released 48 hours before kickoff, and there can only be a maximum of seven substitutes on the bench.
• All games will be played at night, at times/dates fixed by CONCACAF.
• Away goals count in the knockout rounds, unless the series goes to extra time.
• In the group stage, ties on points are resolved:
  • Points won in head-to-head results
  • Goal difference in head-to-head results
  • Away goals in head-to-head results
  • Goal difference in all group matches
  • Away goals in all group matches
  • Draw lots
• After the group stage, there will be a second draw for the knockout rounds with the complete bracket announced at that time.
• Group winners host the second leg of their quarterfinal round series.
• Teams from the same country are NOT kept apart after the group stage.
• The winner of the Champions League does NOT get automatic entry to next year's competition.  (Pachuca, last season's Champions' Cup winner, didn't qualify as champions or runners-up, so they won't be participating.)

My next post on the R&R document will discuss the financial regulations.  To give a brief summary, CONCACAF controls all revenue streams associated with the CCL.  The home team receives all of the gate receipts (minus CONCACAF's 5% cut) and is reimbursed for costs incurred by shuttling CONCACAF referees and officials around.  The away team is partially reimbursed for travel. 

The Champions League field is complete

The last entrant to the CONCACAF Champions League is complete, as Montreal Impact held Toronto FC to a 1-1 draw to win the Nutrilite Canadian Championship.  Rohan Ricketts opened the scoring for TFC after 16 minutes, but Ricardo Brown equalized for Montreal ten minutes later.  The Impact had to soak up a lot of pressure from the MLS side but with the help of Matt Jordan in goal obtained the golden point to advance to CONCACAF's highest club competition.  What a huge victory for Montreal, which salvages a poor season, and what a moment for the USL who now have two teams in the Champions League.

Montreal will now play Real Estelí over two legs in late August and early September for a spot in the group stage. 

An apology to Crew fans

I was able to read more on what had happened in Columbus Sunday night -- from the Times of London (two articles -- thanks Jonathan), from BigSoccer (thanks Chuck), and from the Crew's official website.  I recommend reading the comments from the Times and BigSoccer; they're very illuminating.  Based on what I've been able to read, there was much less to the incidents than what was reported by the AP, and what happened is not any more serious than what happens at a typical match in the NFL or some other professional sports league in America.

So I'd like to express a heartfelt apology to Columbus Crew supporters for taking on face value a severely inaccurate news report and jumping to some very strong conclusions.

There's more I'd like to say about stadium security during soccer matches, but that's for another post.

You bet I'll claim credit

A few days ago I inquired why specific information on the CONCACAF Champions League was slow in coming, and then showed the regulations of the other continental competitions to shame the federation into action.  It must have had some effect, because today some underling from the CONCACAF office placed the Champions League regulations on the official website. 

So once again, Hexagonal Blog gets results at the CONCACAF office!  I know they're reading, so I'd just like to say, thanks for your prompt response.  I'll go over that document very thoroughly and give my thoughts in a couple of days.

I guess it can happen here after all

My first response when I read this was...Dude.

A halftime brawl between more than 100 fans marred an exhibition match Sunday between West Ham United of the English Premier League club and the MLS’ Columbus Crew.

The fights, which overshadowed West Ham United’s 3-1 win, began when a handful of West Ham supporters, some wearing the team’s claret and blue colors, entered the northeast corner of the stadium where the Crew’s most boisterous supporters typically gather.

Crew supporters began directing chants toward the rival fans, and fights quickly broke out between more than 100 Crew fans and at least 30 West Ham fans. Columbus police officers and Crew Stadium security staff eventually separated the groups.

I know that MLS doesn't have any jurisdiction over a friendly match (at least, I don't think they do), but either the League or the USSF need to come down very hard against the Crew and its supporters.  This is something that the sport in this country does not need. 

UPDATE:  Please read this post.

Ariel Ortega to FCD?

Argentine sports daily Olé is reporting that FC Dallas is making an offer to former Argentina World Cup midfielder (and current River Plate player) Ariel Ortega.  Olé links to this story on the Dallas Morning News website, but from reading the article it appears that Ortega is part of a group of players at River that John Ellinger will take a look at.   Ortega had fallen out of favor with Diego Simeone and the River Plate management, but relations are much better now and I doubt that they would let him go.  I would rate FCD's chances of signing him under 25 percent.

Even if they managed to get him, FC Dallas would be taking a gamble with Ariel Ortega, almost as big as the one they took when they signed Denilson.  Ortega has been one of the most gifted Argentine midfielders of his generation, and when he was at his best he was one of the best midfielders in the world, but his recurring problems with alcohol have started to take a toll on him.  Looking back, that fiasco of a transfer to Fenerbahce was the turning point of Ortega's career.  Dallas would serve as a change of scenery that could be beneficial to him, but the Hoops need to go into this decision with eyes wide open.

FC Dallas is also receiving offers from Steaua Bucharest for Juan Toja, and if he goes they would need to sign a midfielder and striker during the transfer period.

UPDATE: This article says that Ortega has ruled out a move.  And as I surmised yesterday, there's more to Ellinger's visit than just Ortega.

Where's yours, CONCACAF?

It is now 38 days before the start of the CONCACAF Champions League.

CONCACAF had a "Champions League Summit" to discuss logistical and competition-related issues among the participants.  One might think that this means that a publication of rules and regulations has been published, but I have yet to see one on the CONCACAF website (but you can find rules/regulations for the defunct(?) Champions' Cup).  None of the websites of the clubs that will be participating in the Champions League have articles that go into any detail on the meetings, either.

I thought it would be a good idea to place, on a single post, the rules and regulations of the continental club competitions for the other five confederations.

Below are the regulation documents for:

• the UEFA Champions League,
• CONMEBOL's Copa Libertadores,
• the CAF Champions League,
• the AFC Champions League,
• and the O-League (Oceania Champions League).

All right CONCACAF, where's yours?  Chuck Blazer says on his blog that he's busy, but he's not too busy to bang out a longish post on Nelson Mandela's principles for leadership.  Surely he can find some time to contact some underling to post the regulations to the CONCACAF website - provided that they've finished transcribing them from the napkins. 

Revolutionary heroes

Tomorrow, the New England Revolution will play Chivas USA in a SuperLiga match.  But three members of the Revs staff have already distinguished themselves by subduing a disruptive passenger on their Boston-Los Angeles flight a few days ago.  I'm pretty sure that Mike Burns, Craig Tornberg, and Gwynne Williams don't necessarily see themselves as heroes but rather as people who did what needed to be done at the time.  And for that, the rest of us are grateful.

Incidentally, Mike Burns was a defender on the 1998 US World Cup team.

Maybe CONCACAF will clue us in

So last week CONCACAF held a "Champions League Summit" with the participating teams, and it seems that they've made some progress with regulations, sponsorship, and other logistics.  Perhaps they'll clue the rest of us on what kind of progress they've made.  Who knows; it could inspire some confidence that CONCACAF might actually pull off this Champions League endeavor.

Chuck Blazer has a blog

Okay, he's had a blog for a while.  But I'm only noticing or caring now.

Looks like it's really him.  Lots of name-dropping and schmoozing going on.  Being a high-level official of an international federation has its perks, doesn't it?