HexagonalBlog

Catching up to the can

The beginning of this year was marked by a lockout of the US national team players by the national federation that was only "settled" in time for the opening match of the Hexagonal.  Both sides kicked the can down the road, but now we're on the other side of the Hexagonal and a new collective bargaining agreement still hasn't been reached.  Frank Dell'Apa reminds us of the issues and what's at stake in his column at ESPN's Soccernet.

The UNCAF 3rd/4th playoff, Leg 2

I'm listening to the Pérez Zeldón-Saprissa match on Radio Monumental, and this match has been a total disaster for the CONCACAF champions.  They lost 0-2 to Pérez Zeldón, which leaves the aggregate series tied 2-2, and on top of that they have had two players sent off (I joined the broadcast in time to hear Ronald Gómez throw a clear elbow in front of the referee).  What a complete meltdown!  Now it's time for penalties...it would be a fitting result if PZ advanced to the final eight.   Saprissa doesn't deserve to be in the Champions' Cup on the basis of this series and the semifinal round against Olimpia.  But these are penalty kicks we're talking about, so Saprissa can still win this.

UPDATE (10:03pm):  And how about that - Saprissa pulls it out of the nether regions with a 5-3 victory on penalty kicks after a 2-2 aggregate draw.   The experience of Saprissa's players made the difference - the PZ player who missed (who's name I didn't get) appeared to be too nervous.  Saprissa doesn't deserve to be in the Champions' Cup, but they get to proceed at the expense of a brave Pérez Zeldón side. 

One team that might be smiling is the Los Angeles Galaxy, who will not have to face two of Saprissa's more dangerous players thanks to expulsion.

Saprissa selects squad for WCC

Hernán Medford announced Saprissa's 23-man roster for the World Club Championships.  The article said that there were no surprises as Medford gave priority to those who are playing regularly in the Costa Rican league.   He will take with him three goalkeepers and three defensive midfielders, which provoked some discussion in the media (Medford refused to elaborate).  The two friendlies in South Korea against local sides will give him the chance to determine who will be ready for the WCC match against Sydney FC.

Allan Alemán is also listed in the roster, but he will be suspended for the opening match of the tournament (he was sent off in the second leg of the CONCACAF final).

Here is the squad list:

Goalkeepers - José Francisco Porras, Fausto González, Keylor Navas

Defenders - Víctor Cordero, Rónald González, Jervis Drummond, Reynaldo Parks, Gabriel Badilla, Juan Bautista Esquivel, Try Bennett, Andrés Núñez,  José Pablo Fonseca

Midfielders - Saúl Phillips, José Luis López, Rándall Azofeifa, Cristian Bolaños, Wálter Centeno, Pablo Brenes, Alonso Solís

Strikers - Allan Alemán, Rónald Gómez, Álvaro Saborío, Gerald Drummond

It's interesting to note that the average age of this roster is 26.7 years - a good mix of young and experienced players.

Saprissa leaves Thursday for the Far East, landing first in South Korea where they will play a friendly against second-division champion Incheon Korail on December 5 and a match against Suwon City (second-division runners-up) on the 7th.   The following day CONCACAF champions travel to Nagoya where they will be based during the World Club Championship.

CFU Semifinal Matches

Between the end of the World Cup qualifiers and the finals draw lies the qualifiying tournaments for next year's CONCACAF Champions' Cup.  Once again the matches in the Caribbean zone have staggered dates -- one tie will be completed before the first leg of the other series is played!  Matches in the Robinhood-Northern United series are played two weeks apart, while the two matches in the other semifinal are three days apart.  Why only three days?  Well, both matches of the Barber-Portmore United tie will be played in the Netherlands Antilles!   Ahh, welcome to CONCACAF, like no other region in the world...

UPDATE (11/27):   SV Robinhood progressed to the CFU finals after a 4-2 victory against Northern United in St. Lucia. 

SV Robinhood (Surinam) 3-1 Northern United (St. Lucia) [9 Nov]
Northern United 2-4 SV Robinhood [23 Nov]

CV CSD Barber (Neth. Antilles) 1-3 Portmore Utd  (Jamaica) [30 Nov]
Portmore Utd 0-1 CV CSD Barber [3 Dec]

The UNCAF final, 1st leg

I hope you all are enjoying Thanksgiving with your families.  Last night in Central America there was the first leg of the Central American club championship (UNCAF) between two current domestic champions: Alajuelense (Costa Rica) and Olimpia (Honduras).   The first leg result was:

Olimpia 0-1 Alajuelense
Gabas 15'

A great result for the Costa Rican side, but Olimpia has obtained some impressive results on the road in this tournament so Alajuelense don't have a huge advantage heading into the return match.

La Nacion has more details on the match.

And in the 3rd/4th place playoff on Tuesday, Saprissa beat Perez Zeldon 2-0 in the first match of that series.

The Champions' Cup Draw

Jack Warner has been a busy man.  In Bahrain one day, in Trinidad the next, and now in New York to announce the draw for the 2006 CONCACAF Champions' Cup.  The draw is not as complicated as that of the European Champions' League - the only thing you have to do is keep the American and Mexican clubs separated - but it is nice to see better organization from CONCACAF headquarters for a change. 

Here is the draw for the quarterfinal round, to be played on 22 February and 8 March  (home team in first leg listed first):

QF1:   Portmore United vs. América
QF2:  Alajuelense vs. New England
QF3:  Olimpia vs. Toluca
QF4:  Los Angeles vs.  Saprissa

The semifinals will be played on 22 and 29 March and will feature  QF1 vs. QF2 in one semi and QF3 vs. QF4 in the other.  The finals will be played on 12 and 19 April.

So América gets to take the Caribbean vacation, while the American teams get to go to Costa Rica, which will be anything but a vacation.  The Galaxy better hope that Steve Sampson learned well from his stint in Costa Rican soccer.   I don't know who will emerge from the crapshoot that is the Mexican playoffs, but I think Olimpia will give the Apertura winner more than they can handle.

I'll come back with some analysis and predictions as the quarterfinal dates approach.  I'm not going to make any predictions right now, but that doesn't mean you don't have to.

UPDATE (12/18): All of the teams in the final eight are now known, so I've updated this post.

The AFC/CONCACAF Playoff, Leg 2

Bahrain 0-1 Trinidad & Tobago

At last!  At long last...Trinidad & Tobago -  after so many disappointments, after so many underwhelming performances - dug deep and buried once and for all the bitter memories of 1971, 1989, and 2001.  Now the tiny Caribbean nation is in the World Cup finals, the fourth Caribbean country (and the second English Caribbean nation) to qualify for the finals, and I will guarantee you that there will be celebrations in T&T, the USA, Canada, Great Britain, and beyond.  Tomorrow is a national holiday on the two islands, but unlike 1989 it will not be a bitter one.

Dennis Lawrence will always have a place in Trinidadian history.  But this is also a moment for Dwight Yorke and Russell Latapy, who were on the field against the USA on that fateful November day, and after a long and distinguished career will finally be on soccer's biggest stage.  This is also a great achievement for Leo Beenhakker who helped right a sinking ship and lead the Soca Warriors to only one loss in their last six matches. 

As for Bahrain, they went further than they had ever done before in the World Cup, although not without much controversy.  They gave a brave effort, and did what they had to do in the away matches in both of their playoff series.  But as Peruzovic said after the match, the game and the series turned on small details.   It is bitterly disappointing to miss the finals by one goal, and it showed in Ali Baba's ejection and the poor fan reaction after the match.

So Trinidad & Tobago are in the World Cup, and CONCACAF - a region often derided and ridiculed (though not without reason sometimes!) - has as many teams in the World Cup finals as South America...would you believe it!  Ich sehe Sie in Deutschland, T&T.  But for now, you have some partying to do.

Congratulations T&T!!!

See you at the World Cup!!!  Go crazy, folks!

A Message for T&T (once again)

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

-The HexagonalBlog

UPDATE:  For those of you in the USA who want to see the playoff, both home and return legs will be broadcast LIVE on Fox Soccer Channel - the Saturday match beginning at 4:30pm EST and the Wednesday match at 11:00am EST.

An important link

I am on another one of my business trips and won't have much time to blog, but in light of the recent announcement from MLS headquarters, I ask you to support the effort by Soccer Silicon Valley to keep the Earthquakes in San Jose. 

Although I'm a DCU fan, the Quakes will always have a place in my heart after watching them during my 7.5 years in the Bay Area.  I'll have more to say about this when I return home.