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USL-1 Foes Paired in Champions League

June 11, 2009 - USL First Division (USL-1) News Release


NEW YORK -- The CONCACAF Champions League Draw for the Preliminary Round pairings and the Group Phase saw the USL First Division's Puerto Rico Islanders and potential Canadian Champion Vancouver Whitecaps drawn against one another for the Preliminary Round Thursday in New York.

Although CONCACAF split the pots for the draw to arrange for clubs of the same country to avoid facing one another in the Preliminary Round (excluding the replacement Costa Rican and Honduran sides), the Islanders and Whitecaps found themselves allocated to opposite groups earlier this week and then drawn against one another, should Vancouver claim the Canadian title.

The scenario, should Toronto fail to win by four goals in the final Nutrilite Canadian Championship match next Thursday, June 18 in Montreal, would pit the two league rivals into a 'USL Champions' showdown within the CONCACAF Champions League as the two met in the 2008 USL First Division Final with the Whitecaps claiming the playoff championship 2-0 against the league's regular season champion Islanders.

The two have met twice already this season out of three scheduled fixtures. Puerto Rico claimed some revenge for the championship loss with a 2-1 home victory April 18, but fell 1-0 on the road on May 10. The third match is slated for July 25 in Vancouver, just days before the slated Leg One dates (July 28-29) for the Preliminary Round. The Leg Two Preliminary Round dates are a week later.

The winner of the Puerto Rico versus Canadian Champion match will be seeded into Group C with the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer, Saprissa of Costa Rica and the Preliminary Round winner of Cruz Azul versus Costa Rica's Herediano - who replaced Nicaraguan champion Real Esteli for not meeting stadium standards. Real Esteli was the club the USL First Division's Montreal Impact eliminated in the Preliminary Round of the 2008-09 tournament.

Should Puerto Rico and Cruz Azul both advance, it would set up a rematch in the Group Phase of the two Semifinal opponents from last year. Puerto Rico won the opening leg at home 2-0, but were eliminated on penalties 4-2 after a 2-0 scoreline in Mexico forced overtime, where they finished level on aggregate, 5-5, after a 3-1 final scoreline. Cruz Azul went on to finish as runners-up, falling 2-0 at home and playing to a scoreless draw against Atlante on the road.

Cruz Azul's 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.

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); and Liberia of Costa Rica against Real Espana of Honduras.

"With a core group of returning 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 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 www.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 Champion (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)



USL First Division Stories from June 11, 2009


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