The 2013-2014 CONCACAF Champions League draw was held at the InterContinental at Doral in Miami tonight. 24 teams, hailing from North America, Central America and the Caribbean learned their fate for the upcoming CONCACAF Champions League to begin in August.
The Quakes, who earned their qualification as the 2012 MLS Supporters' Shield winners, join four other MLS teams for CCL play: the 2012 MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy, the 2012 MLS Cup runner-up Houston Dynamo, the 2012 U.S. Open Cup champion Sporting Kansas City and the 2013 Canadian Cup champion Montreal Impact.
The CONCACAF Champions League represents an opportunity for the club to compete on an international stage. The winner from the 2013-2014 tournament will earn a berth in the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup, qualifying as the CONCACAF representative.
The tournament's format includes a Group Stage and Championship Round. The Group Stage is made up of eight, three-team groups, and is played in a round-robin format with each team facing each other home and away. The group winners advance to the single-elimination Championship Round, also based on the home-and-away format, with the winner advancing on aggregate.
The Earthquakes have drawn Group 5 and will face MLS-side Montreal Impact and a TBD Guatemalan team. The Guatemalan league playoffs are still going, but the team will either be Universidad San Carlos, Heredia, Xelaju, Halcones, Suchitepeques, Marquense or Malacateo. Once a winner is decided, the Quakes and Montreal will know who will roundout Group 5.
<span style="font-size:10px;"><strong>Group 1</strong></span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;"><strong>Group 2</strong></span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;"><strong>Group 3</strong></span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;"><strong>Group 4</strong></span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;"><strong>Group 5</strong></span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;"><strong>Group 6</strong></span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;"><strong>Group 7</strong></span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;"><strong>Group 8</strong></span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">Deportivo Arabe Unido</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">CD Olimpia</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">Herediano</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">Club America</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">San Jose Earthquakes</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">Communicaciones</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">Tijuana</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">LA Galaxy</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">Houston Dynamo</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">Sporting Kansas City</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">Cruz Azul</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">Alajuelense</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">Montreal Impact</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">Toluca</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">Victoria</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">Isidro Metapan</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">Connection </span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">Real Esteli</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">Valencia</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">Sporting San Miguelito</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">TBD (GUA)</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">Caledonia AIA</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">Luis Angel Firpo</span> |
<span style="font-size:10px;">Cartagines</span> |
The 2013-2014 tournament marks the Quakes' first appearance since CONCACAF rebranded the original Champions Cup to CONCACAF Champions League. After winning the MLS Cup in 2001, Quakes participated in the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2002, where they advanced to the Quarterfinals. The team swept CD Olimpia of Honduras in the Round of 16, 4-1 on aggregate, but could not get past Pachucha CF in the Quarterfinals. The Quakes fell to the Mexican champion in the two game series 3-1. In 2003, the Quakes were eliminated early from the tournament, losing to CSD Municipal of Guatemala. The Quakes last appeared in the Champions Cup in 2004, where they lost to LD Alajuelense in the Round of 16. The Quakes were eliminated 3-1 on aggregate.
For full CONCACAF information, visit their website here.
