Mexico’s Toluca and Necaxa and Central American champion Olimpia await D.C. United and Chicago

MLS quickly made a name for itself internationally thanks to the play of D.C. United and the Los Angeles Galaxy in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. D.C. United won the first international club championship in the history of American soccer when it beat Toluca of Mexico, 1-0, in the ’98 final. United’s title came a year after the Galaxy reached the final, where it fell to Cruz Azul of Mexico, 5-3. Their success in the CONCACAF club championship justified MLS’s early commitment to international competition. By contrast, only one American club in the old NASL ever participated. The Rochester Lancers finished fourth in 1971. The participation of MLS clubs has coincided with the revitalization of a tournament that has struggled to develop the regional interest that continental championships such as Europe’s Champions League and South America’s Libertadores Cup have. Three times in the ’60s the tournament never got off the ground. Four times the champion won by forfeit. In 1978, three teams were simply declared regional champions, and the tournament ended. As recently as 1996, the tournament took a year and a half to complete. All that’s changed. Here’s a ranking of the six teams D.C. United and the MLS champion Chicago Fire could face in Las Vegas: 1. TOLUCA (Mexico). The Red Devils have been a model of consistency ù rare among Mexican clubs ù winning the last two Torneo Verano (second stage) titles and finishing second to D.C. United in last year’s CONCACAF Champions Cup. Toluca, currently first in its group in the Mexican First Division, is led by its twin strikers, Paraguayan Jose Cardozo and Mexican Jose Manuel Abundis. Coach Enrique Mesa’s biggest task this season has been replacing Chilean playmaker Fabian Estay, who was sold to Club America this summer. 2. NECAXA (Mexico). Necaxa has overcome speculation about its future to open up the Torneo Invierno with four wins and a tie ù the best record in the league. Necaxa ù which won the ’75 CONCACAF title under its old name, Atletico Espanol ù is being sold by its owner, Mexican television network Televisa, and will move out of Mexico City, where it has limited support. Necaxa is led by Ecuadorans Alex Aguinaga and Agustin Delgado. Former San Jose Clash midfielder Misael Espinoza and Nacho Ambriz provide Coach Raul Arias with lots of experience. 3. OLIMPIA (Honduras). D.C. United will meet a familiar face in the quarterfinals, where it battles Olimpia, winner of the Central American qualifying tournament. Arnold Cruz, who spent half of the ’97 season in Washington, is part of the Olimpia defense. The Tegucigalpa club’s star is Wilmer Velasquez, nicknamed “El Matador.” Velasquez, recalled from Chile when young star David Suazo was sold to Italian club Cagliari, had five of Olimpia’s six goals in the Central American finals. 4. ALAJUELA (Costa Rica). A participant in the first CONCACAF championship in 1962, Alajuela was the first Costa Rican team to take the title, winning in 1986. Currently tied for first in the Costa Rican First Division, Alajuela is led by a pair of foreign strikers: Slovakian Josef Miso and Brazilian Edson Valente. 5. SAPRISSA (Costa Rica). The Morados (Violets) are a team in turmoil. They won the 1998-99 Costa Rican title with ease but fired Coach Carlos Santana just three games into the 1999-2000 season. Saprissa replaced him with former Costa Rican international Alexandre Guimaraes two weeks before the CONCACAF tournament. The Brazilian-born Guimaraes was himself fired by Comunicaciones after the Guatemalan champion finished last in the Central American final four. Veteran keeper Erick Lonnis is out with an ankle injury, but Guimaraes inherits a potent attack in Adrian Mahia, Gerald Drummond and Johnny Cubero, who combined for 58 goals last season. 6. JOE PUBLIC (Trinidad & Tobago). The Eastern Lions, as they are known back home, hope to improve on their performance last year. It won’t be hard. Joe Public fell to D.C. United, 8-0, in its CONCACAF debut. It returns after winning the Caribbean club championship, beating T&T rival Caledonia AIA, 1-0, in the final last fall. Joe Public is currently fourth in the new T&T National Professional League, which launched this year. T&T internationals Arnold Dwarika, Angus Eve and Stokely Mason head the Lions’ lineup, along with St. Vincent & Grenadines international Kendall Velox. by Soccer America managing editor Paul Kennedy.

CONCACAF Champions Cup

SCHEDULE

Quarterfinals

Sept. 28 in Las Vegas, Nev.

Chicago Fire (USA) vs. Joe Public (Trin. & Tobago)

(6 p.m.) (Game 1)

Toluca (Mexico) vs. Alajuela (Costa Rica)

(8 p.m.) (Game 2)

Sept. 29 in Las Vegas, Nev.

D.C. United (USA) vs. Olimpia (Honduras)

(6 p.m.) (Game 3)

Necaxa (Mexico) vs. Saprissa (Costa Rica)

(8 p.m.) (Game 4)

Semifinals

Oct. 1 in Las Vegas, Nev.

Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2

(6 p.m.)

Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4

(8 p.m.)

Third-Place Game

Oct. 3 in Las Vegas, Nev.

Loser Semifinal 1 vs. Loser Semifinal 2

(2 p.m.)

Final

Oct. 3 in Las Vegas, Nev.

Winner Semifinal 1 vs. Winner Semifinal 2

(4 p.m.)

ò All times Pacific.

QUALIFYING

NORTHERN ZONE

Entrants

D.C. United (USA, bye)

Chicago Fire (USA, bye)

Los Angeles Galaxy (USA)

Necaxa (Mexico)

Toluca (Mexico, bye)

Result

Los Angeles Galaxy-Necaxa 1-1

(Necaxa wins 5-4 on penalties.)

CENTRAL AMERICAN ZONE

Entrants

Acros (Belize)

Juventus (Belize)

Saprissa (Costa Rica)

Alajuela (Costa Rica)

Luis Angel Firpo (El Salvador)

FAS (El Salvador)

Comunicaciones (Guatemala)

Aurora (Guatemala)

Olimpia (Honduras)

Motagua (Honduras)

Walter Ferreti (Nicaragua)

Results

Group 1

Luis Angel Firpo-Saprissa 2-2

Juventus-Motagua 0-0

Comunicaciones-Juventus 2-0

Motagua-Luis Angel Firpo 2-1

Luis Angel Firpo-Comunicaciones 1-1

Motagua-Saprissa 1-1

Luis Angel Firpo-Juventus 2-0

Saprissa-Comunicaciones 1-1

Comunicaciones-Motagua 0-0

Juventus-Saprissa 0-2

Motagua-Juventus 1-1

Saprissa-Luis Angel Firpo 2-0

Luis Angel Firpo-Motagua 1-0

Juventus-Comunicaciones 1-4

Saprissa-Motagua 2-0

Comunicaciones-Luis Angel Firpo 3-0

Comunicaciones-Saprissa 1-0

Standings GP W T L GF GA P
*Comunicaciones 7 4 3 0 12 3 15
*Saprissa 7 3 3 1 10 5 12
L.A. Firpo 8 2 2 4 8 10 8
Motagua 7 1 4 2 4 6 7
Juventus 7 1 2 4 2 11 5

Group 2

Alajuela-Aurora 6-1

FAS-Olimpia 0-1

Walter Ferreti-Acros 1-0

Olimpia-Aurora 0-0

Acros-Alajuela 1-2

Walter Ferreti-FAS 2-1

Alajuela-Olimpia 1-1

Aurora-Walter Ferreti 8-0

FAS-Acros 2-1

Acros-Aurora 1-3

FAS-Alajuela 1-1

Olimpia-Acros 2-0

Aurora-FAS 1-3

Olimpia-FAS 2-1 Aurora-Alajuela 1-1

Aurora-Olimpia 2-2

Alajuela-Acros 7-0

Olimpia-Alajuela 4-1

Acros-FAS 0-3

FAS-Alajuela 1-1

Aurora-Acros 5-0

Acros-Olimpia 0-1

Standings GP W T L GF GA P
*Olimpia 7 4 3 0 12 4 18
*Alajuela 8 3 4 1 20 10 16
Aurora 8 3 3 2 21 13 12
FAS 8 3 2 3 11 9 11
Acros 8 0 0 8 3 25 0
*Advanced to final four.

(Walter Ferreti pulled out. Olimpia and Alajuela, which did not play it, are credited with 3 points each.)

Final Four

Saprissa-Comunicaciones 3-2

Olimpia-Alajuela 2-0

Saprissa-Alajuela 0-0

Olimpia-Comunicaciones 3-1

Olimpia-Saprissa 1-0

Alajuela-Comunicaciones 3-0

Standings GP W T L GF GA P
*Olimpia 3 3 0 0 6 1 9
*Alajuela 3 1 1 1 3 2 4
*Saprissa 3 1 1 1 3 3 4
Comunicaciones 3 0 0 3 3 9 0
*Qualifies for quarterfinals.

CARIBBEAN ZONE

Entrants

Notre Dame (Barbados)

Etoile Morne-a-l’eau (Guadeloupe)

Waterhouse (Jamaica)

L’Aiglon Lamentin (Martinique)

Chelsea (St. Vinc. & Gren.)

Joe Public (Trin. & Tobago)

Caledonia AIA (Trin. & Tobago)

San Juan Jabloteh (Trin. & Tobago)

Results

Quarterfinals

Waterhouse 3 Etoile Morne-a-l’eau 0

Caledonia AIA 13 Chelsea 0

L’Aiglon Lamentin 2 San Juan Jabloteh 0

Joe Public 4 Notre Dame 0

Semifinals

Caledonia AIA 4 L’Aiglon Lamentin 3

Joe Public 3 Waterhouse 1

Final

Joe Public 1 Caledonia AIA 0