Soccer in the United States in early January? Apparently, that's the perfect time for the InterLiga. With the Mexican Fall league ending in December and the Spring season yet to start, this is when the elite clubs of Mexico decide who will represent the league in the Copa Libertadores. Yes, that is South American's top club competition, and yes, the MExican clubs playoff in the United States.
Eight teams will be competing in groups of four for two spots in the 36-team Copa Libertadores, the South American club championship which is similar to the format of the European Champions League.
The Copa Libertadores is one of the most prestigious international club competitions in the world with 36 teams participating in 2004 from South America and Mexico. Between 1998 and 2003 Mexican clubs participated in Libertadores qualifying tournaments first among themselves and then in a following round against Venezuelan clubs. Beginning in 2004, Mexican clubs now have two automatic berths to the Copa Libertadores up for grabs, which will be determined through the InterLiga tournament.
Why is this being played now?
First, a little language lesson: Liga is the Spanish word for league and inter is the Latin word for between. The Mexican professional league plays two separate seasons in the fall (Apertura or opening and) in the spring (Clausura or closing). The fall championship finished on Dec. 20 and the new season opens in late January. The Copa Libertadores opens in early February. The teams are also using this tournament to train for the upcoming season. In previous years, Mexican clubs have played in the U.S. to qualify for the Copa Libertadores, but it was called the Pre-Libertadores. Many Mexican clubs have trained in the United States around this time of year to prepare for the new season.
So who's playing?
The eight teams to qualify for the 2004 inaugural edition of the InterLiga were selected based on their combined record in the Apertura and Clausura seasons of the Mexican domestic league. The champions and runners-up for the '08 Apertura and the '07 Clausera are ineligible to play in this tournament. So no Atlante, UNAM Pumas, Santos, or Cruz Azul. The remaining top eight squads are divided into two groups
Group A (Pachuca, U.A.G., Toluca, Morelia)
Group B (Chivas, Club America, UANL, Atlas).
The group stages are standard, with each team playing the others in the group once. The grou stage runs from Jan 2nd through Jan 9th, with both groups playing in Frisco, Houston, and Carson, CA. The final is on Jan 11th.
With two slots available, the loser of the final plays the winner of the third-place game for the final slot.
All games will be shown live in the U.S. on Fox Sports en Espanol (FSE).
Why aren't the two league champions involved in this tournament?
The CONCACAF Champions League takes priority, and the league winners and runners-up play there. Since it is run concurrently with the Copa Libertadores, they could not play both tournaments at the same time.
Why do Mexican teams play in a South American tournament when they are part of CONCACAF?
Not only does Mexico provide the most competitive teams in North America historically, it also represents a huge television market for the tournament and a chance to give the Copa Libertadores even more international appeal. Mexican clubs get a significant windfall from this tournament while raising the profile of their teams.
Isn't Major League Soccer involved in this?
Yes, their marketing arm, Soccer United Marketing (SUM), is promoting the tournament in the United States and owns the television rights to the tournament. Three MLS stadiums are being used for the tournament as well. Headquartered in New York City, SUM represents all commercial rights for MLS as well as the English-language broadcast rights for the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cup and the English-language broadcast, local sponsorship, and host broadcaster rights for the 2003 Women's World Cup. MLS Commissioner Don Garber is also the CEO of SUM. Additionally, SUM is also the exclusive U.S. promoter and marketing representative for the Mexican National Team.
