SANDY, Utah – CONCACAF confirmed on Tuesday that Real Salt Lake midfielder Kyle Beckerman will be permitted to be on the Rio Tinto Stadium field for a potential post-match ceremony should RSL capture the CONCACAF Champions League final series against Mexican side Monterrey (10 p.m. ET, FOX Soccer and Telefutura).
There were doubts early Monday as to whether an “inactive” player can be permitted access to the field for the medal and trophy ceremony after the final whistle.
Beckerman is suspended for the second leg at Rio Tinto Stadium due to yellow card accumulation and as a result cannot be on the bench during the game or participate in pre-game warm-ups. The RSL captain confirmed to ExtraTime Radio that he will be watching the match in the same box as club GM Garth Lagerwey.
Earlier on Tuesday, a CONCACAF spokesman confirmed to MLSsoccer.com that post-game activities are excluded from the parameters of the suspension and that Beckerman will be cleared to participate in the post-game ceremony and receive a medal. He can also receive the trophy if the club appoints him as the recipient. RSL declined to name or disclose their designated recipient.
The CONCACAF Champions League trophy will be presented to the winning club by longtime CONCACAF official and FIFA Executive Committee member Rafael Salguero. Presenting the medals will be CONCACAF Deputy General Secretary Ted Howard, US Soccer Federation (USSF) CEO/Secretary General Dan Flynn and Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (FMF) president Justino Compean.
The prize for winning the CONCACAF Champions League is a ticket to the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup and the guaranteed compensation that comes with it. The $16.5 million prize purse for the 2010 Club World Cup ranged from $500,000 for the seventh-placed side to $5 million for the champions.
The following is the breakdown of the prize money for the 2010 edition of the FIFA Club World Cup, which was won by Italian side and reigning European champions Inter Milan:
- Champions: US$ 5 million
- Runners-up: US$ 4 million
- 3rd Place: US$ 2.5 million
- 4th Place: US$ 2 million
- 5th Place: US$ 1.5 million
- 6th Place: US$ 1 million
- 7th Place: US$ 500,000
