CONCACAF Champions League kicks off

Published on August 26, 2008 under USL First Division (USL-1) News Release


TAMPA, FL - The inaugural edition of the CONCACAF Champions League opens Tuesday night with three Preliminary Round games, but the attention on Wednesday will turn toward the historic moment when the Montreal Impact and Puerto Rico Islanders become the first USL teams to participate in a CONCACAF club championship event. Montreal hosts Nicaragua's Real Esteli and Puerto Rico visits Costa Rica's famed Alajuelense.

As part of Fox Soccer Channel's calendar of 11 Preliminary Round matches that will be broadcast, Wednesday's two matches featuring Montreal and Puerto Rico will be shown live with Montreal kicking off at 8:00 pm ET and Puerto Rico at 10:00 pm. Puerto Rico's second leg match at home will also air Wednesday, September 3 on delay at 11:00 pm.

Wednesday night's matches will mark the first time since the 1996 Seattle Sounders of the then independent A-League (now USL First Division). The Sounders defeated Transvaal (Suriname) 10-0 in Seattle to advance. In the final round, they lost to Communicaciones (Guatemala) 2-0, Nexaca (Mexico) 4-1, and Cruz Azul (Mexico) 11-0, to finish 4th and last. Cruz Azul (Mexico) won the round and took the title.

Montreal comes into their match against Real Esteli having won four of their last five in the USL First Division and have won their last three contests at home. They currently sit seventh in the table with a 9-10-4 record, but are only five points back of third place in what has been arguably the tightest table in league history.

Participation in the CONCACAF club championship event is perhaps overdue for the Impact, who have arguably been the nation's best side over the years, winning USL-1 titles in 1994 and 2004 in addition to finishing as the regular season champions on five occasions (2005-06, 1995-07). They have finished within the top three in the league regular season since 2003, finishing third last season and second in 2003 and 2004.

Long known as defensive stalwarts in the USL First Division, the Impact have continued the tradition in anonymity near the bottom of the table, currently ranked second in the league in fewest goals allowed per game at 0.96 behind Puerto Rico's mark of 0.88. The Impact's scoring rate of 1.09, however, has been what has kept the club from its usual heights. The strike rate has increased though in the past month, jumping to two goals per match so far for the month of August through five games.

Leading the attack for August has been Tony Donatelli (three goals, assist), Roberto Brown (two goals, assist) and newcomer Felix Brillant (two goals, assist). In goal, Matt Jordan currently ranks first in the league in goals against average at 0.809.

Puerto Rico is arguably the fastest-improving club in the region, growing from an expansion franchise in the USL First Division in 2004 to the third-best club in the Caribbean in just four short years. Their fifth anniversary campaign has become a magnificent celebration with a steady presence as the USL-1 leaders and as participants in the Champions League.

The Islanders have risen to the top of USL-1 with the league's best offense and defense. Their average scoring rate of 1.58 per game leads Atlanta (1.40) and Rochester (1.24) by significant margins. Along with Montreal, the Islanders are one of two clubs that have allowed less than one goal per game this season.

Puerto Rico's current form has been extremely impressive, going unbeaten in their last six at 4-0-2. The Islanders are currently 6-3-3 in league play away from home, but have not lost in their last eight games on the road (6-0-2), an amazing feat for any USL-1 side. The run includes six straight games on the road from an opening 1-0 loss July 4 to local rival Miami, who rank third in defense, followed by five consecutive victories beginning July 6 with a 1-0 win over Montreal and ending with a July 27 victory at Minnesota 3-2. The streak also featured a 3-1 win July 12 over then league leading Charleston, who has since won their US Open Cup Semifinal and will face DC United for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Championship September 3.

Leading the way for the Islanders is goalkeeper Bill Gaudette, who currently ranks second in the league in goals against average at 0.913 behind Montreal's Matt Jordan, and midfielder Jonathan Steele, the current league leader in assists with 10. Steele's efforts, along with Noah Delgado (three goals, four assists) at midfield have led to a consistent sharing of the scoring burden among several players for the Islanders with Fabrice Noel (6), Josh Hansen (5) and Taiwo Atieno (4) scoring at least four goals each. Defender Cristian Arrieta has been providing at both ends, contributing five goals.

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USL First Division Stories from August 26, 2008


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