CONCACAF Champions League
 | |
| Founded |
1962 (2008 in its current format) |
|---|---|
| Region | North America, Central America & The Caribbean (CONCACAF) |
| Number of teams | 24 (from 12 associations) |
| Related competitions | FIFA Club World Cup |
| Current champions |
 América(6th title) |
| Most successful club(s) |
Cruz Azul América (6 titles) |
| Website | Official website |
 2015–16 CONCACAF Champions League | |
The CONCACAF Champions League is an annual continental football club competition organized by CONCACAF for the top football clubs in North America. It is the most prestigious international club competition in North American football. The winner of the CONCACAF Champions League qualifies for the FIFA Club World Cup. The tournament is officially known as the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League due to sponsorship reasons.[1][2]
The tournament consists of two stages. The group stage is played from August to October, in which there are eight groups of three teams each. The eight group winners enter the knockout phase, which spans March through May. Unlike its European and South American counterparts, the winners of the CONCACAF Champions League do not automatically qualify for the following season's competition.[3]
The competition was originally known as the CONCACAF Champions' Cup when it was first organized in 1962. The title has been won by 28 different clubs, 17 of which have won the title more than once. Mexican clubs have accumulated the highest number of victories, with 31 titles in total. The second most successful league has been Costa Rica's Primera División with six titles in total. Mexican sides América and Cruz Azul are the most successful clubs in the competition's history, having won the tournament six times, followed by Pachuca with four titles. The most successful non-Mexican club is Saprissa of Costa Rica with three titles. The only teams to successfully defend the trophy are Cruz Azul, Pachuca, and Monterrey. The current champions of the competition are América, after defeating Montreal Impact 5–3 on aggregate.
Competition format
Each tournament has two parts — a group stage held from August to October, and a knockout phase held from March to May of the following year. The group stage consists of 24 teams playing in eight groups of three teams each, with each team playing the other two teams in its group twice. United States and Mexican sides cannot be drawn into the same group. The winner of each of the eight groups advances to the quarterfinals. Each phase of the knockout rounds (quarterfinals, semifinals, finals) consist of a two-leg home-and-away series with the winner determined by aggregate goal differential.[4] Seeding in the knockout phase is determined by performance during the group stage.
Prior to the 2012–13 season, the competition had involved four groups of four, with one Mexican team and one U.S. team in each group.
History
The competition was initially created as a possible measure to enter the South American Copa Libertadores, a competition organized by CONMEBOL. Prior to 2008, the tournament was officially called the "CONCACAF Champions' Cup", but was usually referred to simply as the "Champions' Cup". The competition has had several different formats over its lifetime. From 1962 until 1995, the finalists, or clubs participating in a final round, would be decided by clubs who qualify via two separate brackets: a Caribbean Island qualifier and a Northern/Central American qualification competition. Initially, only the champions of the North American leagues participated. In 1971, the runners-up of a few North American leagues began to join and the tournament began to be expanded, incorporating round-robin group phases and more teams. After the creation of the United States' Major League Soccer, the competition became a straight knockout competition from 1997 until it was revamped into the current tournament in 2008.
Champions' Cup era (1962–2008)
The competition's former format, a knockout tournament called the Champions' Cup, was played under a variety of formats. The last format, used from 2004 to 2008, had eight teams competing – four from the North American zone (two from the Mexico, two from the United States), three from the Central American zone, and one from the Caribbean zone. Since 2005, the champion of the competition also gained entry into the FIFA Club World Cup, giving clubs an added incentive for a strong participation and greater interest from fans. Also, the Champions' Cup Runner-up would be one of the three CONCACAF invitees to the Copa Sudamericana.
Champions League era (2008–present)
The CONCACAF Executive Committee at their 2006 November meeting decided to "act upon" a proposal--first delineated in 2003 by then Head of Special Projects Mel Brennan--at their next meeting by the CONCACAF Secretariat to develop the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup into a larger "Champions League" style event. The CONCACAF Executive Committee reported on November 14, 2007 some of the details.[5] The previous Champions' Cup format was used as planned in Spring 2008. Then, a newly expanded Champions League tournament was conducted starting in August 2008 and concluding in May 2009. The initial setup involved 24 teams and featured a Preliminary Round contested by 16 teams to reduce the field to 16 teams, which were separated into four groups of four teams.[5][6] After the Group Stage, the Championship Round are held from the Quarterfinal Round onward. Since 2012, the 24 teams have been divided into eight groups of three teams. The first placed teams qualify for the quarter finals. The quarter finals, semi finals and final are played over two legs.
Qualification
A total of 24 teams participate in the CONCACAF Champions League: nine from the North American Zone (from three associations), twelve from the Central American Zone (from at most seven associations), and three from the Caribbean Zone (from at most three associations).[7]
Nine from the North American Zone:
Three from the Caribbean Zone:
|
Twelve from the Central American Zone:
|
Clubs may be disqualified and replaced by a club from another association if the club does not 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 American Zone
Nine teams from the North American Football Union qualify to the Champions League. Mexico and the United States are each allocated four berths, the most of any of CONCACAF's member associations, while Canada is granted one berth in the tournament.
For Mexico, the winners and runners-up of the Liga MX Apertura and Clausura tournaments earn berths in Pot 3 of the tournament's group stage.
For the United States, three berths are allocated through the Major League Soccer (MLS) regular season and playoffs; the fourth berth is allocated to the winner of its domestic cup competition, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. If U.S.-based, the MLS Cup winner, the Supporters' Shield winner, the other regular season conference winner and the U.S. Open Cup winner are placed in Pot 3. If any of the above berths are taken by a Canada-based MLS team, the Champions League place is allocated to the U.S.-based team with the best MLS regular season record who has failed to otherwise qualify.
Since Canada will host the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, the Canadian Championship was moved from April–May to April–August (with no matches occurring between May and August), overlapping with the start of the Champions League. Therefore, for the 2015–16 tournament only, the lone Canadian berth into the tournament, in Pot 1, was given to the best Canadian team in the MLS regular season. The setup will be reverted for the 2016–17 tournament, where once again the Voyageurs Cup competed for in the Canadian Championship, earns the lone Canadian berth into the tournament (starting from the 2015 Canadian Championship, the winner earns the berth in the next calendar year instead of the same calendar year as in previous tournaments).
Central American Zone
Twelve teams from the Central American Football Union qualify to the Champions League. The allocation is as follows: two berths for each of Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama and El Salvador, and one berth for each of Nicaragua and Belize. The teams from Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, and Panama are placed in Pot 2 and the teams from El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Belize are placed in Pot 1.
If one or more clubs is precluded, it is supplanted by a club from another Central American association. The reallocation is based on results from previous Champions League tournaments.
Caribbean Zone
Three teams from the Caribbean Football Union qualify to the Champions League. The three berths, in Pot 1, are allocated to the top three finishers of the CFU Club Championship, a subcontinental tournament for clubs from associations of the Caribbean Football Union. In order for a team to qualify for the CFU Club Championship, they usually need to finish as the champion or runner-up of their respective association's league in the previous season, but professional teams may also be selected by their associations if they play in the league of another country.
If any Caribbean club is precluded, it is supplanted by the fourth-place finisher from the CFU Club Championship.
Stadium standards
If a club fails to meet the standards for its home stadium, the club must find a suitable stadium in its own country, and if the club fails to provide the adequate facilities, it runs the risk of being replaced by another team.[9] Real Esteli of Nicaragua failed stadium requirements and was replaced by another team for the 2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons.[10] Estadio Independencia in Nicaragua has since been renovated, including upgrades to stadium lighting, and Nicaraguan teams now participate.[11] The qualifying team from Belize has failed stadium requirements and has been replaced by another team in each season from 2009–10 through 2014–15.
If one or more of the twelve Central American clubs is precluded, it will be supplanted by a club from the best Central American league, based on results from the current Champions League. If any Caribbean club is precluded, it will be supplanted by the club who finished 4th in the CFU Club Championship.
Attendance Record
During Champions League era:
| Rank | Date | Host Club | Visitor Club | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 8, 2015 | Club América | Club Sport Herediano | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
66,208[12] |
| 2 | April 29, 2015 | Montréal Impact | Club América |  Olympic Stadium, Montréal |
61,004[13] |
| 3 | April 22, 2015 | Club América | Montreal Impact | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
56,783[14] |
| 4 | February 23, 2009 | Montréal Impact | Santos Laguna | Olympic Stadium, Montréal |
55,571[12] |
| 5 | March 7, 2012 | Toronto FC | LA Galaxy | Rogers Centre, Toronto |
47,658[15] |
| 6 | March 4, 2015 | Club América | Deportivo Saprissa | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
40,688[15] |
| 7 | March 3, 2015 | Montréal Impact | Pachuca CF | Olympic Stadium, Montréal |
38,104[12] |
| 8 | March 18, 2015 | Montréal Impact | Liga Deportiva Alajuelense | Olympic Stadium, Montréal |
33,675[12] |
| 9 | May 1, 2013 | C.F. Monterrey | Santos Laguna | Estadio Tecnologico, Monterrey |
33,667[15] |
| 10 | March 7, 2013 | Tigres UANL | Seattle Sounders | Estadio Universitario, San Nicolás |
32,810[15] |
Sponsorship
The CONCACAF Champions League has several corporate sponsors: Scotiabank, Miller Lite, MoneyGram, Maxxis Tires, and Nike.[7][16] The sponsors' names appear on the boards around the perimeter of the field, and boards for pre-game and post-game interviews and press conferences.[7] Nike is also the official provider of game balls and referee uniforms.
Finals
Champions Cup Era
.svg.png){kind=small}
.svg.png){kind=small}
.svg.png){kind=small}
- The abbreviation "aggr." represents the aggregate score across two matches.
1 No final match was held; the championship was decided by a final round.
2 Championship won due to withdrawal and/or disqualification of all other teams.
3 Universidad de Guadalajara, Comunicaciones and Defence Force were all declared joint winners after the 1978 final tournament was cancelled due to administrative problems and disagreements on match dates.
Champions League era
| Season | Winner | Aggregate Score |
Runner-up | Losing Semifinalists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–09 | Atlante |
2 – 0 | Cruz Azul |
Santos Laguna  Puerto Rico Islanders |
| 2009–10 | Pachuca |
2 – 2 (Away goals 1 – 0) |
Cruz Azul |
Toluca UNAM |
| 2010–11 | Monterrey |
3 – 2 |  Real Salt Lake |
Cruz Azul  Saprissa |
| 2011–12 | Monterrey |
3 – 2 | Santos Laguna |
UNAM Toronto FC |
| 2012–13 | Monterrey |
4 – 2 | Santos Laguna |
Los Angeles Galaxy Seattle Sounders FC |
| 2013–14 | Cruz Azul |
1 – 1 (Away goals 1 – 0) |
Toluca |
Tijuana Alajuelense |
| 2014–15 | América |
5 – 3 |
Montréal Impact |
Alajuelense Herediano |
| 2015–16 | Tournament in progress | |||
| 2016–17 | Qualification in progress | |||
Notes:
- All scores listed are aggregate scores across the two home-and-away legs, unless otherwise noted.
Records and statistics
Winners
| Pos. | Team | Titles | Years won | Years runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cruz Azul | 6 | (1969, 1970, 1971, 1996, 1997, 2014) | (2009, 2010) |
| América | 6 | (1977, 1987, 1990, 1992, 2006, 2015) | ||
| 2 | Pachuca | 4 | (2002, 2007, 2008, 2010) | |
| 3 | Saprissa | 3 | (1993, 1995, 2005) | (2004, 2008) |
| UNAM | 3 | (1980, 1982, 1989) | (2005) | |
| Monterrey | 3 | (2011, 2012, 2013) | ||
| 4 | Alajuelense | 2 | (1986, 2004) | (1971, 1992, 1999) |
 SV Transvaal | 2 | (1973, 1981) | (1974, 1975, 1986) | |
| Toluca | 2 | (1968, 2003) | (1998, 2006, 2014) | |
 Defence Force | 2 | (1978, 1985) | (1987, 1988) | |
 Olimpia | 2 | (1972, 1988) | (1985, 2000) | |
| Atlante | 2 | (1983, 2009) | (1994) | |
| 5 |  Comunicaciones | 1 | (1978) | (1962, 1969) |
| Guadalajara | 1 | (1962) | (1963, 2007) | |
| Los Angeles Galaxy | 1 | (2000) | (1997) | |
| Necaxa | 1 | (1999) | (1996) | |
| Municipal | 1 | (1974) | (1995) | |
| DC United | 1 | (1998) | ||
| Cartaginés | 1 | (1994) | ||
| Puebla | 1 | (1991) | ||
 Violette AC | 1 | (1984) | ||
 Club Deportivo FAS | 1 | (1979) | ||
| Universidad de Guadalajara | 1 | (1978) | ||
| Águila | 1 | (1976) | ||
| Atlético Español | 1 | (1975) | ||
| Alianza | 1 | (1967) | ||
| Racing Club Haïtien | 1 | (1963) | ||
(When sorted by years won or lost, the table is sorted by the date of each team's first win)
Performances by country
| Rank | Nation | Winner | Runner-up | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico |
31 | 15 | Cruz Azul (6), América (6), Pachuca (4), UNAM (3), Monterrey (3), Toluca (2), Atlante (2), Guadalajara (1), Necaxa (1), Puebla (1), Universidad de Guadalajara (1), Español (1) | Toluca (3), Guadalajara (2), Cruz Azul (2), Monarcas Morelia (2), Santos (2), UNAM (1), Necaxa (1), Atlante (1), León (1) |
| 2 | Costa Rica |
6 | 5 | Saprissa (3), Alajuelense (2), Cartaginés (1) | Alajuelense (3), Saprissa (2) |
| 3 | El Salvador |
3 | 1 | Alianza (1), Águila (1), FAS (1) | Atlético Marte (1) |
| 4 | Suriname |
2 | 8 | Transvaal (2) | Robinhood (5), Transvaal (3) |
| 5 | Guatemala |
2 | 3 | Municipal (1), Comunicaciones (1) | Comunicaciones (2), Municipal (1) |
| Honduras |
2 | 3 | Olimpia (2) | Olimpia (2), Universidad (1) | |
| Trinidad and Tobago |
2 | 3 | Defence Force (2) | Defence Force (2), Police FC (1) | |
| 8 | United States |
2 | 2 | D.C. United (1), Los Angeles Galaxy (1) | Los Angeles Galaxy (1), Real Salt Lake (1), |
| 9 | Haiti |
2 | 0 | Haïtien (1), Violette (1) | |
| 10 |  Cuba |
0 | 2 | Pinar del Río (2) | |
 Curaçao |
0 | 2 | Jong Colombia (2) | ||
| 12 | Canada |
0 | 1 | Montréal Impact (1) |
Champions League
Champions League Winners
| Pos. | Team | Winners | Runners-up | Years won | Years runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monterrey |
3 | 0 | 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13 | |
| 2 | Cruz Azul |
1 | 2 | 2013–14 | 2008–09, 2009–10 |
| 3 | América |
1 | 0 | 2014–15 | |
| Pachuca |
1 | 0 | 2009–10 | ||
| Atlante |
1 | 0 | 2008–09 | ||
| 6 | Santos Laguna |
0 | 2 | 2011–12, 2012–13 | |
| 7 | Montréal Impact |
0 | 1 | 2014–15 | |
| Toluca |
0 | 1 | 2013–14 | ||
| Real Salt Lake |
0 | 1 | 2010–11 |
Top countries (Champions League)
| Rank | Country | Winner | Runner -up |
Losing Semi- finalist |
Winner | Runner Up | Losing Semifinalist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico |
7 | 5 | 6 | América (2015), Cruz Azul (2014), Monterrey (2011, 2012, 2013), Pachuca (2010), Atlante (2009) |
Toluca (2014) Santos Laguna (2012, 2013) Cruz Azul (2009, 2010) |
Santos Laguna (2009), UNAM (2010, 2012), Toluca (2010), Cruz Azul (2011), Tijuana (2014) |
| 2 | United States |
0 | 1 | 2 | Real Salt Lake (2011) | Los Angeles Galaxy (2013), Seattle Sounders FC (2013) | |
| 3 | Canada |
0 | 1 | 1 | Montréal Impact (2015) | Toronto FC (2012) | |
| 4 | Costa Rica |
0 | 0 | 4 | Saprissa (2011), Alajuelense (2014, 2015), Herediano (2015) | ||
| 5 | Puerto Rico |
0 | 0 | 1 | Puerto Rico Islanders (2009) | ||
Best result by country
| Rank | Country | Best result | Best Team (Year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico |
Champions (x7) | Atlante (2009); Pachuca (2010); Monterrey (2011, 2012, 2013); Cruz Azul (2014); América (2015) |
| 2 | United States |
Runner-up | Real Salt Lake (2011) |
| 2 | Canada |
Runner-up | Montréal Impact (2015) |
| 4 | Costa Rica |
Semifinals (x4) | Saprissa (2011); Alajuelense (2014, 2015); Herediano (2015) |
| 5 | Puerto Rico |
Semifinals | Puerto Rico Islanders (2009) |
| 6 | Honduras |
Quarterfinals (x4) | Marathon (2009, 2010); Olimpia (2011, 2015) |
| 7 | Guatemala |
Quarterfinals (x2) | Comunicaciones (2010); Xelaju (2013) |
 Panama |
Quarterfinals (x2) | Arabe Unido (2010, 2014) | |
| 9 | El Salvador |
Quarterfinals | Isidro Metapan (2012) |
Notes:
- Nicaragua has an automatic berth in the Champions League, but no Nicaraguan club has advanced to the knockout rounds or even won a match in Champions League group play.
Results by country
Results are listed in the Wins-Losses-Draws format. Numbers in parentheses are average points (3 for a win, 1 for a draw, 0 for a loss).
Results include matches from preliminary rounds, group play, and knockout play.
*Penalty shoot-out considered a separate event from the match which preceded it.
| CCL Season | Mexico | MLS | Costa Rica | Honduras | Canada | Guatemala | Panama | El Salvador |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–09 | 23*-12-10 (1.8) |
2-10-6 (0.7) |
3-3-2 (1.4) |
7-5-4 | 5-2-2 (1.9) |
2-3-3 | 3-7-4 | 2-3-3 |
| 2009–10 | 30-8-10 (2.1) |
7-10-9 (1.2) |
2-5-3 (0.9) |
9-9-0 | 0-1-1 (0.5) |
3-6-1 | 5-6-1 | 1-5-2 |
| 2010–11 | 25-10-6 (2.0) |
16-14-8 (1.5) |
6-4-2 (1.7) |
7-9-2 | 3-2-2 (1.6) |
2-3-3 | 2-8-0 | 1-5-4 |
| 2011–12 | 26-14-6 (1.8) |
21-16-7 (1.6) |
7-6-1 (1.6) |
3-11-2 | 5-3-3 (1.6) |
3-4-1 | 2-4-2 | 5-7-0 |
| 2012–13 | 19-4-7 (2.1) |
16-8-6 (1.9) |
5-2-3 (1.8) |
2-3-3 | 2-2-0 (1.5) |
4-4-2 | 0-8-0 | 2-10-0 |
| 2013–14 | 20*-6-6 (2.1) |
13-9*-5 (1.8) |
7-7-2 (1.8) |
2-5-1 (1.4) |
2-2-0 (2) |
4-4-0 | 4-5-1 | 3-3-2 |
| 2014–15 | 13-4-7 (1.9) |
15-6-7 (1.9) |
10-6-6 (1.6) |
4-4-2 (1.4) |
4-2-4 (1.6) |
3-3-2 | 1-6-1 | 0-7-1 |
| Totals | 156-61-49 (1.9) |
90-72-48 (1.5) |
40-33-19 (1.5) |
34-46-14 (1.2) |
21-14-11 (1.6) |
21-27-12 (1.3) |
17-44-9 (0.9) |
14-40-12 (0.9) |
Awards
| Season | Golden Boot | Golden Ball | Golden Glove | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player (goals) | Club | Player | Club | Player | Club | |
| 2008–09 | Javier Orozco (7) | Cruz Azul |
||||
| 2009–10 | Ulises Mendivil (9) | C.F. Pachuca |
||||
| 2010–11 | Javier Orozco (11) | Cruz Azul |
||||
| 2011–12 | Humberto Suazo (7) | Monterrey |
Oribe Peralta | Santos Laguna |
||
| 2012–13 | Nicolás Muñoz (6) Carlos Quintero (6) |
Isidro MetapánSantos Laguna |
Aldo de Nigris | Monterrey |
Oswaldo Sánchez | Santos Laguna |
| 2013–14 | Raúl Nava (7) | Toluca |
Mariano Pavone | Cruz Azul |
Alfredo Talavera | Toluca |
| 2014–15 | Darío Benedetto (7) Oribe Peralta (7) |
América |
Darío Benedetto | América |
Evan Bush | Montréal Impact |
See also
- Interamerican Cup
- CONCACAF Giants Cup
- CONCACAF Cup Winners' Cup
- North American SuperLiga
- Football continental championships
References
- ↑ "Scotiabank Joins CONCACAF as Official Partner". CONCACAF.com. December 9, 2014.
- ↑ "Official Logo Unveiled for Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League". CONCACAF.com. February 10, 2015.
- ↑ CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REGULATIONS 2013/2014, Rule 3.7, http://www.concacaf.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/CCL1314-Regulations060313pdf.pdf
- ↑ What is CCL?, Portland Timbers. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
- 1 2 "CONCACAF ExCo meeting in New York". CONCACAF. 14 November 2007. Archived from the original on 25 December 2007.
- ↑ "We Are the Champions (League)". The Washington Post.
- 1 2 3 CONCACAF. "ISSUU - Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League 2015-16 Regulations by CONCACAF". Issuu.
- ↑ "Qualifying Format Unveiled for 2008–09 CONCACAF Champions League". CONCACAF Official site. 2008-05-14. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
- ↑ "CONCACAF Executive Committee tightens stadium standards for next year's Champions League". CONCACAF Official site. 2008-11-07. Retrieved 2008-11-12.
- ↑ MLSsoccer.com, Real Esteli FC vs. Sporting Kansas City | CONCACAF Champions League Preview, August 6, 2013, http://www.mlssoccer.com/ccl/news/article/2013/08/06/real-esteli-fc-vs-sporting-kansas-city-concacaf-champions-league-preview
- ↑ Pinolero Sports, Luces, ahora sí, en el Independencia (article in Spanish), Feb. 18, 2011, http://pinolerosports.com/titulares/11-titulares/751-luces-ahora-si-en-el-independencia.html
- 1 2 3 4 "Champions League: Montreal Impact near sellout for home leg of CCL final at Olympic Stadium", MLSsoccer.com, Oliver Tremblay, 17 April 2015.
- ↑ "CONCACAF final: Club America too much for Impact". cbc.ca. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
- ↑ Moffat, Rick. Twitter https://twitter.com/RickMoffat/status/591255994459643904. Retrieved 23 April 2015. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - 1 2 3 4 "Club America breaks SCCL attendance record". CONCACAF.com. April 10, 2015.
- ↑ "Champions League". CONCACAF.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to CONCACAF Champions League. |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
.svg.png){kind=small}
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
