* Each week, from now until March 9 the Kansas City Wizards will feature the "Champions Cup Countdown", a comprehensive look at the Wizards upcoming Champions' Cup match against Costa Rican side Deportivo Saprissa. The Wizards will host the first match of the two-leg, aggregate goal, first round series at Arrowhead Stadium on Wednesday, March 9, with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. CT.*
2005 CONCACAF CHAMPIONS' CUP SCHEDULE
Quarterfinal Series - March 9 & March 16
Kansas City Wizards (USA)* vs. Deportivo Saprissa (CRC)
CF Monterrey (Mexico)* vs. CSD Municipal (GUA)
D.C. United (USA)* vs. Harbour View FC (JAM)
CD Olímpia (HON)* vs. Pumas UNAM (Mexico)
* Hosts First Leg
Semifinal Series - April 6 & April 15
Kansas City Wizards-Deportivo Saprissa Winner vs. CF Monterrey-CSD Municipal Winner
D.C. United-Harbour View/Tivoli Gardens FC Winner vs. CD Olímpia-Pumas UNAM Winner
Final Series - May 4 & May 11
THE REST OF THE FIELD
CF MONTERREY (Mexico)
Established: June 28, 1945
Stadium: Estadio Tecnologico - Monterrey, Mexico
Domestic Championships: 2 (Mexico '86, Clausura 2003)
Champions' Cup Titles: None
How they qualified: One of two automatic qualifiers for the 2005
Champions Cup from Mexico by virtue of reaching the 2004 Mexican League Apertura Final last December. They join Pumas UNAM as the two Mexican representatives in this year's field.
CDS MUNICIPAL (Guatemala)
Established: May 17, 1936
Stadium: Estadio Nacional Mateo Flores - Guatemala City, Guatemala
Domestic Championships: 21 (most recently 2004)
Champions' Cup Titles: 1 (1974)
How they qualified: Earned one of three automatic berths from the
Union Centroamericana de Fútbol (UNCAF) into the 2005 Champions' Cup after finishing in the top three at the Final Round of the 2004 Torneo Interclubes de UNCAF that took place in Guatemala back in December. CSD Municipal joins Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica) and CD Olímpia (Honduras) as the three representatives from Central America in the 2005 Champions' Cup.
D.C. UNITED (USA)
Established: 1996
Stadium: RFK Stadium - Washington, D.C.
Domestic Championships: 4 (1996, 1997, 1999, 2004)
Champions' Cup Titles: 1 (1998)
How they qualified: One of two automatic berths from the United
States into the 2005 Champions Cup by virtue of reaching the 2004 Major
League Soccer Final. Won the 2004 MLS Cup by defeating the Kansas City
Wizards 3-2.
HARBOUR VIEW FC (Jamaica)
Established: March 1974
Stadium: Harbour View Stadium - Kingston, Jamaica
Domestic Championships: 1 (99/00)
Champions' Cup Titles: None
How they qualified: Harbour View FC advanced to the 2005 CONCACAF
Champions' Cup after defeating fellow Jamaican side Tivoli Gardens FC 3-2 on aggregate goals in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Tournament Final in Kingston this past December. Harbour View is the lone representative from the CFU.
CD OLIMPIA (Honduras)
Established: June 12, 1912
Stadium: Estadio Nacional Tiburcio Carias - Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Domestic Championships: 15 (most recently the 2000 Apertura)
Champions' Cup Titles: 2 (1972, 1988)
How they qualified: Earned one of three automatic berths from the
Union Centroamericana de Fútbol (UNCAF) into the 2005 Champions' Cup after finishing in the top three at the Final Round of the 2004 Torneo Interclubes de UNCAF that took place in Guatemala back in December. CD Olímpia joined Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica) and CSD Municipal (Guatemala) as the three representatives from Central America in the 2005 Champions' Cup.
PUMAS UNAM (Mexico)
Established: 1937
Stadium: Estadio Olimpico Universitario - Mexico City, Mexico
Domestic Championships: 5 (1977, 1981, 1991, Clausura 2004, Apertura
2004)
Champions' Cup Titles: 3, (1989, 1982, 1980)
How they qualified: One of two automatic qualifiers for the 2005
Champions Cup from Mexico by virtue of reaching the 2004 Mexican League
Apertura Final last December. They defeated CF Monterrey 3-1 on aggregate
goals to win the Mexican League title. Pumas and Monterrey are Mexico's two
representatives in this year's Champions' Cup field.
ALL-TIME CHAMPIONS CUP WINNERS
The CONCACAF Champions' Cup is the longest running international club competition in the region and has crowned the champion club of the Confederation since its inception in 1962. Here is a look at the winners of the Champions' Cup since 1962.
1962: Guadalajara (MEX)
1963: Racing (HAI)
1967: Alianza (SLV)
1968: Toluca (MEX)
1969: Cruz Azul (MEX)
1970: Cruz Azul (MEX)
1971: Cruz Azul (MEX)
1972: Olimpia (HON)
1973: Transvaal (SUR)
1974: Municipal (GUA)
1976: Atlético Español (MEX)
1977: Club América (MEX)
1978: Universidad de Guadalajara (MEX), CSD Comunicaciones (GUA), Defence
Force (TRI) joint winners
1979: Deportivo FAS (SLV)
1980: UNAM (MEX)
1981: Transvaal (SUR)
1982: UNAM (MEX)
1983: Altante (MEX)
1984: Violette (HAI)
1985: Defence Force (TRI)
1986: LD Alajuelense (CRC)
1987: Club América (MEX)
1988: CD Olimpia (HON)
1989: UNAM (MEX)
1990: Club América (MEX)
1991: Puebla (MEX)
1992: Club América (MEX)
1993: Saprissa (CRC)
1994: CS Cartaginés (CRC)
1995: Saprissa (CRC)
1996: Cruz Azul (MEX)
1997: Cruz Azul (MEX)
1998: D.C. United (USA)
1999: Necaxa (MEX)
2000: Los Angeles Galaxy (USA)
2001: Tournament was not played
2002: Pachuca (MEX)
2003: Toluca (MEX)
2004: LD Alajuelense (CRC)
Champions Cup Titles by Club
Cruz Azul (MEX) 5
Club América (MEX) 4
Pumas UNAM (MEX) 3
CD Olimpia (HON) 2
Defence Force (TRI) 2
LD Alajuelense (CRC) 2
Saprissa (CRC) 2
Toluca (MEX) 2
Transvaal (SUR) 2
Alianza (SLV) 1
Altante (MEX) 1
Atlético Español (MEX) 1
CS Cartaginés (CRC) 1
D.C. United (USA) 1
Deportivo FAS (SLV) 1
CD Guadalajara (MEX) 1
Los Angeles Galaxy (USA) 1
CDS Municipal (GUA) 1
Necaxa (MEX) 1
Pachuca (MEX) 1
Puebla (MEX) 1
Racing (HAI) 1
UA de Guadalajara (MEX) 1
Violette (HAI) 1
CHAMPIONS' CUP WINNER EARNS BERTH IN 2005 FIFA WORLD CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2005 CONCACAF Champions' Cup winner will earn a berth in the 2005 FIFA World Club Championship, a six-team tournament to be held in Japan in December 2005. The champion of each of the six Confederations - CONCACAF (North & Central America & Caribbean), CONMEBOL (South America), UEFA (Europe), AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa) and OFC (Oceania) - will take part in the World Club Championship.
The six teams in the FIFA World Club Championship will split a prize pool of $15 million with the pool ranging from $1 million for the sixth place team to $5 million for the winner.
TICKETS FOR MARCH 9th CHAMPIONS CUP MATCH ON SALE NOW
On March 9th, the Wizards will begin play in the 2005 CONCACAF
Champions' Cup when they host Deportivo Saprissa at Arrowhead Stadium.
Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster and can be purchased by calling
816-931-3330 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
All tickets to the Wizards Champions' Cup match will be Field Level General
Admission. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth (15 and younger) and
WILL NOT be included in any season ticket packages. No other discounts will
apply.
