CARSON, Calif. – The LA Galaxy were today drawn into Group A of the 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League following a draw held at the confederation’s headquarters in New York City. Only one other club, LD Alajuelense of Costa Rica, was automatically drawn into Group A, while the other two spots remain up for grabs. Those spots will be decided through the tournament’s Preliminary Round with clubs such as Monarcas Morelia and Pumas UNAM of Mexico, CSD Municipal of Guatemala and Club Motagua of Honduras in contention for those spots as well as the runner-up to the Caribbean Football Union Club Championship, which will be decided later this month.
The fourth edition of the tournament begins in July with the Preliminary Round. The Group Stage will begin with the first round August 16-18 and finish with the sixth round of matches October 18-20. The Galaxy qualified for the competition for the second straight year by winning the Supporters’ Shield last season.
The Galaxy’s only guaranteed opponent in Group A is Alajuelense, the 26-time champion of the Costa Rica’s Primera Division, which received an automatic berth into the tournament by winning the league’s 2011 Clausura season. They will be joined by the winner of the Preliminary Round series between CSD Municipal and Club Motagua.
Additionally, the runner-up of the 2010-11 Clausura season in Mexico’s Primera Division, which will be decided on Sunday, between Monarcas Morelia and Pumas UNAM will face the runner-up of the CFU Club Championship in another Preliminary Round series, with the winner advancing to Group A.
The CFU Club Championship is currently in its semifinals stage and includes the Puerto Rico Islanders, Alpha United of Guyana, Defence Force of Trinidad and Tobago and Tempete of Haiti. Three of those four teams will qualify for the Preliminary Round.
The tournament draw, conducted by CONCACAF Deputy General Secretary Ted Howard at the confederation’s New York headquarters, set the eight Preliminary Round pairings as well as the Group Stage quartets.
Below are the full results of today’s draw:
PRELIMINARY ROUND
First Leg: July 26-28
Second Leg: August 2-4
(Teams on left host first leg)
Motagua (HON) vs. Municipal (GUA)
Mexican Clausura runner-up (Monarcas Morelia or Pumas UNAM) vs. Caribbean club championship runner-up
Isidro Metapan (SLV) vs. Caribbean club champion
Santos Laguna (MEX) vs. Olimpia (HON)
Alianza (SLV) vs. FC Dallas (USA)
Canadian champion (Toronto FC or Vancouver Whitecaps FC) vs. Nicaragua qualifier (Real Esteli or Walter Ferreti)
San Francisco (PAN) vs. Seattle Sounders FC (USA)
Herediano (CRC) vs. Caribbean club championship third-place finisher
GROUP STAGE
Dates
First Round: August 16-18
Second Round: August 23-25
Third Round: September 13-15
Fourth Round: September 20-22
Fifth Round: September 27-29
Sixth Round: October 18-20
Group A
LA Galaxy (USA)
LD Alajuelense (CRC)
Winner of Mexican Clausura runner-up-Caribbean club championship runner-up
Winner of Motagua-Municipal
Group B
Colorado Rapids (USA)
Real Espana (HON)
Winner of Santos Laguna-Olimpia
Winner of Metapan-Caribbean club champion
Group C
Mexican Clausura champion
Tauro (PAN)
Winner of Alianza FC-FC Dallas
Winner of Canadian champion-Nicaragua qualifier
Group D
Monterrey (MEX)
Comunicaciones (GUA)
Winner of San Francisco-Seattle Sounders FC
Winner of Herediano-Caribbean club championship third-place finisher
About CONCACAF
CONCACAF “The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football” is one of six continental confederations of FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) and serves as the governing body of football in this part of the world. It is composed of 40 national associations, from Canada in the north to Guyana, Surinam and French Guyana in the south.
