For those who might not follow the world’s game, this whole CONCACAF Champions League setup might be a little confusing.
So here’s a breakdown of what the Champions League is all about.
All around the world, teams participate in their domestic league play. Here in Canada, our first division league is MLS, therefore the Impact plays teams from cities all across North America.
However, there are tournaments that are played outside of the domestic leagues that pit the best teams from each country or league against one another on a per region basis to determine THE best team in Europe (UEFA), North and Central America along with the Caribbean (CONCACAF), South America (CONMEBOL), Oceania (OFC), Africa (CAF) and Asia (AFC).
The best known of the tournaments is the UEFA Champions League, in which the top team’s from different European countries play against each other and in which, the Impact’s very own Alessandro Nesta, won on two occasions with his former club AC Milan.
The Impact has qualified for its regional tournament, the CONCACAF Champions League, by winning the Voyageurs Cup in the Amway Canadian Championship as the best team in Canada and a berth in the group stage of the tournament.
As such, the Canadian side joined 23 other teams that qualified next phase of the CONCACAF Champions League through different means, including regular season titles, playoff championships and domestic cups among other.
Impact in Group 5
All 24 teams were put into a draw in which three teams were selected to form eight groups.
The Impact is joined in Group 5 by the San Jose Earthquakes (MLS), who qualified for the group stage thanks to a Supporters Shield win as regular season champs in 2012, and C.D. Heredia - Guatemala’s representative from the Clausura (spring season).
The tournament also includes the LA Galaxy, Houston Dynamo and Sporting KC from MLS, Tijuana and Cruz Azul from Mexico, and CD Victoria from Honduras.
The top team from each group moves on to the quarter-final aggregate goal home and away series.
The winner of the tournament will then play in the 2014 Club World Cup, pitting the winners of all the other in order to determine the top team in the world.
The 2012 edition saw the English Premier League side Chelsea (2012 UEFA Champions League winners) fall to Brazilian giants Corinthians in the final.
Qualification in the CONCACAF Champions League means more international exposure for the club and an opportunity for the supporters to see different styles of soccer.
The Impact will kick Champions League action versus MLS rivals the San Jose Earthquakes in the opening game of the group stage on Wednesday, August 7, at 8pm (ET) at Stade Saputo.
Tous au stade!
