CONCACAF champions league draw set for Wednesday

The draw to determine Preliminary Round pairings and Group Stage groups for 2011/12 CONCACAF Champions League will take place on Wednesday, 11:00 a.m. ET, at the Confederation’s headquarters in New York City.

Nineteen of the 24 qualifiers have already been decided. Eight teams are guaranteed one of the 16 places in the competition’s Group Stage. Defending champion Monterrey (Mexico) qualified for the upcoming edition by winning the 2010 Mexican Apertura, assuring it of a Group Stage spot.

Due to the lack of a suitable playing facility, Belize’s place in the Champions League will be filled by a third entrant from Honduras, Olimpia. Honduras earned the right to an additional entry due to the performance of its teams in the 2010/11 Champions League. Olimpia, the two-time CONCACAF champion secured the place by finishing as runner-up in both the Apertura and Clausura championships.

The draw will establish the eight Preliminary Round knockout matches and composition of the four, four-team groups.

The first leg of the Preliminary Round will be July 26-28 with the second leg to be played the following week. The winners will advance to the six-round Group Stage, which will begin August 16-18.

2011/2012 CONCACAF Champions League – Qualifiers

NORTH AMERICA (9)
United States (4): Los Angeles Galaxy*, Seattle Sounders, Colorado Rapids*,
FC Dallas
Mexico (4): Monterrey*, Santos Laguna, Pumas UNAM, Morelia
Canada (1): Toronto FC or Vancouver Whitecaps

CARIBBEAN (3)
CFU Club Champions Cup (3): TO BE DETERMINED FROM – Alpha United (Guyana),
Defence Force (Trinidad & Tobago), Puerto Rico Islanders (Puerto Rico
Islanders), Tempete (Haiti)

CENTRAL AMERICA (12)
Costa Rica (2): Alajuelense*, Herediano
El Salvador (2): Isidro Metapan, Alianza FC
Guatemala (2): Comunicaciones*, Municipal
Honduras (2): Real Espana*, Motagua, Olimpia
Nicaragua (1): (tbd). Walter Ferreti or Real Espana
Panama (2): Tauro FC*, San Francisco

* automatically qualified for Group Stage