even those who have mastered the complexities of the global game and its multitude of competitions -- who wonder just how important the CONCACAF Champions' Cup really is.
The brief answer is "very important."
D.C. United and the Kansas City Wizards embark on their Champions' Cup course this week, both opening the quarterfinals at home. D.C. United will face Harbour View of Jamaica while Kansas City receives Deportivo Saprissa, a perennial Costa Rican power.
The other two quarterfinals match Olimpia of Honduras against two-time Mexican champion UNAM Pumas and Monterrey of México against Municipal of Guatemala. All of the matches are over two legs and will be decided on total goals scored.
The return games will be next week to set up semifinals on April 6 and 13. In those the D.C.-Harbour View winner will be paired against Pumas or Olimpia, while Kansas City or Saprissa will play Monterrey or Municipal.
The two-leg final is set for May 4 and 11.
Nobody is going to argue that our region's club tournament has the glamour and pizzazz of UEFA's Champions League or South America's Copa Libertadores, but there are two significant inducements for the eight participants. First is the regional title itself, but of even greater worth this time is a guaranteed spot in the second edition FIFA Club World Championship, a six-club affair scheduled for Japan late this year.
For a league like MLS, the CONCACAF Champions' Cup is something of a mixed blessing. Obviously it offers the U.S. clubs an opportunity to showcase the strength of the league, but simultaneously, the scheduling sets a terrific challenge in front of MLS teams which are in preseason as they face clubs in the midst of their own championships.
This is probably as good a place as any to drop in the thought that if MLS wants to be truly successful in the global game it has to change its schedule to match most of the rest of the world. Playing a fall-spring championship not only would line our teams up in the same frame as their opponents, it would also make Bruce Arena's life easier when it comes to preparing the national team. Beyond that, a spring championship game would likely grab much more attention than the current late fall MLS Cup Final which must battle the NFL, college football and NASCAR.
With MLS owning more of its stadiums, a schedule shift could be possible sometime in the future, but for now, D.C. United and Kansas City have to hope that their preseason form and fitness is good enough. On paper, D.C., which won this Cup back in 1998, has the better chance of advancing because anyone who has ever gone to the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in San Jose, Costa Rica knows that winning a match in that atmosphere can be very difficult. Past form suggests that the Wizards will need to collect a solid first-leg lead to take with them.
The favorite to claim the title is likely Pumas, whose domination in Mexico under Hugo Sanchez has been impressive even if the current season has begun without quite as much oomph. Sunday Pumas rallied from an early two-goal deficit to defeat Atlas 3-2, a suggestion that they are rounding into shape for a shot at their fourth CONCACAF club title.
Saprissa is probably the second choice based on their clear home advantage. They have twice won the title and finished runner-up to arch-rival Alajuela last year in an all-Costa Rican final. Saprissa edged the Chicago Fire 3-2 on aggregate in the semifinal last year.
Monterrey will certainly have to be considered as potential winners if they can strike the right balance. Monterrey currently has four wins and one draws in eight matches in the new Mexican season, but has momentum after a 4-1 romp past Puebla at the weekend. They should match up well against Municipal, one of Guatemala's perennial contenders who are undefeated (3-0-3) in their new campaign.
D.C. United and Kansas City start as virtual unknowns in terms of 2005, but for each the opportunity is there. In fact, for MLS, participation in events like this can ultimately be as important as Mexico's entry into the Copa Libertadores has proved. Because the world of soccer has a hard time letting go of its preconceptions, teams and leagues which somehow have not collected the official seal of approval from the "experts" must seize their opportunities when they are there. Mexican clubs have demonstrated that they can play with the big boys of Argentina, Brazil and Colombia; success for MLS in the Champions' Cup could send the same type of message through our region.
The gains from an appearance in the FIFA world club event could be tremendous. Remember, the Los Angeles Galaxy won the CONCACAF title in 2000 and qualification for the scheduled FIFA club championship that summer only to have the event canceled before a ball was kicked in Spain. For a while that spring, the Galaxy name was being mentioned among the best clubs in the world. That never hurts.
This time, the Japan championship appears on solid footing with the UEFA and South American champions seeded directly to the semifinals as the price for getting them to take part. If an MLS club can reach that final sometime soon it would undoubtedly boost the global profile of the U.S. league.
For the moment, the focus has to simply be making the best of a very difficult assignment. For U.S. fans the tournament does offer the first look at MLS clubs in 2005 since Fox Soccer Channel is televising all of this week's games starting with D.C. United-Harbour View and Kansas City-Saprissa on Wednesday night.
And for the clubs, themselves, it's a serious challenge with the potential for serious reward.
Jerry Trecker covered soccer around the world for 47 years before retiring from The Hartford (Ct.) Courant in June 2004. He is a regular contributor to MLSnet.com.
