I am “adding it to my library.”
Ok, i am near halftime. Need i watch any more?
I quit following the match after the first goal as the Whitecaps looked just plain ugly. It did not get better.
Interesting that both the European and CONCACAF Club Finals were 5-0 blowouts.
Can’t imagine the Mexican league is that much better than MLS. Vancouver was just awful on this occasion.
It probably is. VAN seem to be one of the best teams in the MLS Soccer this season
Cruz Azul was top of the table in the opening round (Apertura), but got knocked out by the eventual champion and 8th-in-table América in the tournament phase.
Then 3rd in the closing round (Clausura) and knocked out by America again in the tournament phase.
The altitude didn’t help, though.
Losing put on 2029 CWC money is also a bummer.
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Is there any way to qualify for CWC 2029 other than by winning a CONCACAF Club competition?
For CONCACAF, the four slots go to Champions League Champions.
Possibilities:
- Being added as a host (like MIA);
- Two Liga MX CONCACAF Champions are owned by the same entity and thus requiring a playoff of two other teams (like LAFC)
- A team wins more than one CONCACAF Champions League, then a slot opens up to the highest ranked non-Champion (UEFA opened a slot since RM won the '22 and '24 UCL’s). But, this win by Cruz Azul pushes most the MLS Soccer teams down a notch. (Countered by LAFC win, of course.)
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Pretty incredible storyline.
OK, so Lyon dropped to Ligue Deux. But still in the Europa League?
We have a Gold Cup thread.
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From the Economist; nice return on Ryan Reynold’s Wrexham investment:
“In 2021 Mr Reynolds snapped up Wrexham A.F.C., a struggling Welsh football team, for £2m ($2.7m) with a fellow actor. The team’s improving performance—and an Emmy-award-winning documentary co-produced by Mr Reynolds—have significantly raised its profile. The club is now said to be raising money at a valuation of up to £350m.”
More drama at UEL: Lyon was going to be relegated which meant not being allowed into the UEL (not sure why, unless they were penalized 90 points in last year’s table), but they got a reprieve from that. So they are in the UEL. But, unless Woody “Tight-Shoes” Johnson buys out the Lyon owner’s share in Crystal Palace, and ASAP, CP doesn’t get in. I think that means that no EPL team replaces CP in that spot.
IMO, CP should get the nod as a Cup Champion over Lyon’s 6th place finish, since the UEL was once the tournament for Domestic Cup Champions. But words are wind.
Meanwhile, the First Qualifying Round of UCL, UEL, and UECL start this week.
The Canadian Championship just completed its quarterfinals and only one MLS team is left in the running. Not much difference in quality between the Canadian MLS teams and other Canadian teams.
Only difference is the price paid not to get relegated.
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Relegation would be complicated but not impossible for MLS. Maybe the CPL and USL winners bump the two bottom MLS teams?
The CPL winner and the Canadian Championship winner both get to play in the CONCACAF Club competition so there is that incentive.
Nottingham Forest would be promoted to the Europa League and Crystal Palace demoted to Conference League.
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Really? Not sure that was an option.
We are comparing apples and oranges.
Europa League and Conference League are comparable to a club competition like the CONCACAF Club championship.
Whereas I’m viewing MLS relegation like the EPL relegation system. There is the complication that MLS is an international league (although some Americans view Canada as part of the US.)
Cross-discussion
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