2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League

The 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League is the 4th edition of the CONCACAF Champions League under its current format. The tournament began on July 26, 2011 and will finish with the second leg of the final April 24–26, 2012.^[1] Monterrey is the defending champion. The winner will qualify as the CONCACAF representative at the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup.

Qualification

Twenty-four teams participate in the 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League from the North American, Central American, and Caribbean zones. Nine of the teams come from North America, twelve from Central America, and three from the Caribbean.^[2]

Teams may be disqualified and replaced by a team from a different country if the club doesn't have an available stadium that meets CONCACAF regulations for safety. If a club's own stadium fails to meet the set standards then it may find a suitable replacement stadium within its own country. However, if it is still determined that the club cannot provide the adequate facilities then it runs the risk of being replaced.

North America

A total of nine clubs from the North American Football Union participating in the Champions League. Mexico and the United States are allocated four spots, the most of any CONCACAF nation, while Canada is granted one spot in the tournament.

In Mexico, the winners of the Mexican Primera División Apertura and Clausura tournaments earn direct berths into Group Stage of the Champions League, while the tournament runners-up earn berths into the Preliminary Round.

For the United States, three of its four spots are allocated through the Major League Soccer regular season and playoffs, while the fourth spot is allocated to whoever wins the domestic championship, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The U.S. Open Cup winner, along with the MLS Cup runner-up earn berths into the Preliminary Round of the tournament. The winner of the Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup, are given byes into Group Stage.

The winner of Canada's domestic cup competition, the Nutrilite Canadian Championship earns the lone Canadian berth into the tournament, entering in the Preliminary Round.

Central America

Twelve clubs from the Central American Football Union qualify to the Champions League. If one or more clubs is precluded, it is supplanted by a club from another Central American federation. The reallocation would be based on results from previous Champions League tournaments.

For the Central American representatives that qualify via split seasons, in nations that play a playoff to determine a national champion, the winner gains the nation's top spot. In nations that don't utilize such methods, total points over both seasons, followed by other tiebreakers, determine which team gains the nation's top spot. The top teams from the leagues of Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala and Panama enter the Group Stage, while their second teams enter the Preliminary Round. The two teams from the league of El Salvador and the sole representatives from the leagues of Nicaragua and Belize enter the Preliminary Round.

Caribbean

Three berths in the Champions League's Preliminary Round are allocated to the top three finishers of the CFU Club Championship, a subcontinental tournament for clubs from nations of the Caribbean Football Union. In order for a Caribbean club to qualify for the CFU Club Championship, they would need to finish as the champion (or in some cases, runner-up) in their respective nation's top league in the previous season.

If any Caribbean club is precluded, it is supplanted by the fourth place finisher from the CFU Club Championship.

Teams

Teams in bold qualify directly for the Group Stage.

• Number of appearances and last appearance count only those in the Champions League era starting from 2008–09 (not counting those in the era of the Champions' Cup from 1962 to 2008).
• ^TH – Title holders

¹ Berth originally awarded to Belize (Belize Defence Force) but Belize failed CONCACAF stadium requirements, so the spot vacated was awarded to Honduras (Olimpia) based on performance from last season.^[3]

Format

Like the previous editions, the tournament is divided into three phases:^[4]

• In the Preliminary Round, 16 teams are drawn into eight two-legged home-and-away ties, with each tie containing one team from Pot A and one team from Pot B. The eight winners qualify for the Group Stage to join the eight teams which directly enter the Group Stage.
• In the Group Stage, 16 teams are drawn into four groups of four playing in a round-robin home-and-away format, with each group containing two direct entries (one team from Pot A and one team from Pot B) and two Preliminary Round winners. The top two teams from each group advance to the Quarterfinals of the Championship Round.
• In the Championship Round, the eight teams play in a knockout tournament, with each tie played in two-legged home-and-away format.

Teams from the same association (excluding "wildcard" teams which replace a team from another association) may not be drawn with each other in the Preliminary Round and Group Stage, but may be drawn with each other in the Championship Round, where the only restriction is that in the quarterfinals, a group winner has to be drawn with the runner-up of another group and also host the second leg.

For the two-legged ties of the Preliminary Round and Championship Round, the away goals rule is used, but not after a tie enters extra time, and so a tie is decided by penalty shootout if the aggregate score is level after extra time.

Schedule

Preliminary Round

The draw for the Preliminary Round and the Group Stage was held on May 18, 2011, at the CONCACAF headquarters in New York City.^[7] The first legs of the Preliminary Round were played July 26–28, 2011, while the second legs were played August 2–4, 2011.

Group Stage

The Group Stage were played in 6 matchdays during August–October 2011: August 16–18, August 23–25, September 13–15, September 20–22, September 27–29, and October 18–20.^[7] The top two teams of each group advanced to the Championship Round.^[4]

Group A

Tiebreakers^[4]

• Los Angeles Galaxy, Morelia and Alajuelense are ranked by their head-to-head records. All three teams have 6 head-to-head points, and so are ranked by head-to-head goal difference: Los Angeles Galaxy (+1), Morelia (0), Alajuelense (−1).

Group B

Group C

Group D

Championship Round

Bracket

The draw for the Championship Round was made November 8, 2011.^[8] In the quarterfinals, the group winners will be assured of playing the second leg at home, and will be drawn against the group runners-up, with the only restriction being that they could not face the same team that it played in the Group Stage (and thus they may face a team from the same association).^[4]

Quarterfinals

The first legs of the Quarterfinals will be played March 6–8, 2012, and the second legs will be played March 13–15, 2012.^[1]

Semifinals

The first legs of the Semifinals will be played March 27–29, 2012, and the second legs will be played April 3–5, 2012.^[1]

Finals

The first leg of the Finals will be played April 17–19, 2012, and the second leg will be played April 24–26, 2012.^[1]

Top goalscorers

Players in bold are still active in the competition.

References

External links

• CONCACAF Champions League official website