CONCACAF & Whitecaps FC
The winner of the 2010
Nutrilite Canadian Championship
will face Club Deportivo Motagua of Honduras in the Preliminary Round of the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League this summer.
With Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Major League Soccer club Toronto FC still in contention for this year's Voyageurs Cup title, the winner of the three-club competition - which also includes USSF D-2 Pro League club Montreal Impact - face a challenging two-match, aggregate goal series against the club from the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa following Wednesday's Champions League draw at CONCACAF headquarters in New York City. The 2010 Canadian champions will host the first leg of the Preliminary Round series during the week of July 27 to 29 before travelling to Honduras for the second leg in the first week of August.
Known as Las Aguilas Azules (The Blue Eagles), Motagua earned one of two berths to the third edition of the CONCACAF Champions League following the disqualification of Nicaragua's Real Esteli and the yet-to-be determined domestic champions from Belize. Motagua's squad includes a very familiar face in former Toronto FC attacking midfielder Amado Guevara.
The winner of the Canadian champions versus Motagua series will advance to Group A, where they will face MLS Cup holders Real Salt Lake (USA), Panama's Club Deportivo Arabe Unido, and the winner of the Preliminary Round series between Mexican giants Cruz Azul and Panama's San Francisco FC. The first set of group-stage matches will take place the week of August 17 to 19.
Other notable Preliminary Round ties include MLS club Los Angeles Galaxy facing USSF D-2 outfit Puerto Rico Islanders, while Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup holders Seattle Sounders FC will face an as yet-to-be determined side from Central America.
The winner of the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League will qualify as the confederation's representative for the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup.
2010-11 CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
PRELIMINARY ROUND
(Host of first leg listed first)
Central America 11 vs Xelaju (Guatemala)
Brujas (Costa Rica) vs Joe Public (Trinidad & Tobago)
San Juan Jabloteh (Trinidad & Tobago) vs Santos or Toluca (Mexican Clausura runners-up)
San Francisco (Panama) vs Cruz Azul (Mexico)
Los Angeles Galaxy (USA) vs Puerto Rico Islanders (Puerto Rico)
Tauro FC (Panama) vs Marathon (Honduras)
Seattle Sounders (USA) vs Central America 12
Toronto FC or Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Canadian champions) vs Motagua (Honduras)
GROUP STAGE
Group A
Real Salt Lake (USA)
Arabe Unido (Panada)
San Francisco/Cruz Azul winner
Toronto-Vancouver/Motagua winner
Group B
Columbus Crew (USA)
Municipal (Guatemala)
San Juan Jabloteh/Santos-Toluca winner
Brujas/Joe Public winner
Group C
Monterrey (Mexico)
Saprissa (Costa Rica)
Seattle Sounders FC/Central America 12 winner
Tauro/Marathon winner
Group D
Santos/Toluca (Mexican Clausura champions)
Olimpia (Honduras)
Los Angeles Galaxy/Puerto Rico Islanders winner
Central America 11/Xelaju winner
