The prestigious CONCACAF Champions’ Cup, will be held in the renovated, 40,000-seat Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, from Sept. 28 to Oct. 3. The Champions’ Cup is the symbol of club supremacy among the 38 Members of CONCACAF — the Football Confederation controlling the soccer activities of the countries of North America, Central America and the Caribbean. Making the announcement in Las Vegas, CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer said: “We are delighted with Las Vegas itself, as a world famous destination, and with Sam Boyd Stadium as an excellent, modern home for our principal club championship. “Together with our partners in this event, we look forward to a successful first major soccer event in Las Vegas and the prospect of this becoming the long-term home for the Champions Cup.” Among the other benefits and attractions of Sam Boyd Stadium is the importance of its being a neutral site, thus avoiding any potential advantage to a club playing in its own home field — especially this year, when the winner will represent the region in the first FIFA World Club Championship in Brazil next January. Already qualified for the 1999 CONCACAF Champions Cup are: D.C. United of the United States, current holders of the Champions Cup. Toluca of Mexico, champions of Mexico’s 1999 Torneo Verano. Chicago Fire of the United States, current champions of Major League Soccer. Joe Public of Trinidad & Tobago, winners of the 1998 Caribbean Club Championship. Three more finalists will emerge from Central America, where the final qualifying games will be played from July 18 through Aug. 15. The winners of each of the two groups will qualify, along with the best second-placed team. Currently, Saprissa (Costa Rica), Comunicaciones (Guatemala), and Motagua (Honduras) are tied atop Group 1 with six points each; Alajuela (Costa Rica) and Olimpia (Honduras) share the lead with eight points in Group 2. The eighth qualifier will come from a playoff between Necaxa of Mexico, winners of the Mexican Torneo Invierno championship, and the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer, the next highest U.S. team after the champions, Chicago, and the CONCACAF champions, D.C. United. The date and venue of those games will be announced in the near future. The finals in Sam Boyd Stadium will be in the following format: The eight teams will be seeded into two groups of four, with the first round single elimination games on September 28 and 29, with doubleheaders each night. The four winners will play in the semifinals on October 1, with the final and third place matches on October 3.