I have this Quixotesque impulse to organize sport leagues and tournaments. I never actually write to someone that actually works with it, but I can't help myself. It just comes naturally to me. I see a league, and soon I am looking its history, how it has developed, its current context. Then, ideas on how to improve it simply keep popping on my mind. This week, for instance, it has happened with baseball's WBC and, more importantly, with Concachampions.
Concacaf has changed its Champions' League, and I think they could have made it better – especially with the transition, since teams from USA and Canada that had their spot secured can be left out of the competition. Concachampions has now two different tournaments: one, preliminary, from August to October; and, other, the Champions' League proper, from February to May. Both tournaments have 16 teams each and are played in series of knockout rounds. The champion of the preliminary tournament qualifies to the main competition, joining 15 others who qualify directly (4 MEX, 4 USA, 1 CAN, 1 CFU, 1 CRC, 1 HON, 1 PAN, 1 ELS, 1 GUA).
Instead of making a new one from scratch, I decided to try improve upon the new system as Concacaf has established. Hence, there would be a qualifying stage with 4 home-and-away knockout rounds followed by a final stage also with 4 home-and-away knockout rounds. Differently from Concacaf's actual competition, however, no team would qualify directly to the final stage. This is how I envision the Concachampions:
I. Qualifiers (August to October)
a. First Qualifiers (2 rounds) - 48 teams divided in three zones
North Zone: 13 USA, 3 CAN;
Central Zone: 16 MEX;
South Zone: 3 CFU, 3 CRC, 2 HON, 2 PAN, 2 GUA, 2 ELS, 1 NCA, 1 BLZ.
Teams would be divided in pools of 4 teams each within their zones. Pools would have a semifinal round and a final round. The 12 pool champions would qualify to the main tournament. The 12 runners-up would compete in the Second Qualifiers.
b. Second Qualifiers (2 rounds) - 12 teams
Teams would be divided in 4 pools of 3 teams (from different zones) each. Once again, pools would have a semifinal round and a final round. The best ranked team from each zone, plus the best ranked team among the remaining competitors would be seeded, and would have a bye in the semifinal. The 4 pool champions would qualify to the main tournament.
II. Champions' League (February to May)
Finals (4 rounds) - 16 teams
The Finals would be exactly how Concacaf has proposed.
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P.S.: Concacaf's announced preliminary tournament could become its counterpart of Copa Sudamericana or of Europa League.
I. Qualifiers (August to October)
a. First Qualifiers (1 round) - 40 teams divided in three zones
Participating teams: 24 eliminated in Concachampions' first round of Qualifiers; 3 CFU, 2 CRC, 2 HON, 2 PAN, 2 GUA, 2 ELS, 1 NCA, 1 BLZ, 1 CAN.
North Zone: 10 teams (9 USA/CAN, 1 UNCAF or CFU);
Central Zone: 8 teams (MEX);
South Zone: 22 teams (UNCAF/CFU).
Home-and-away series, within the zones (except one North v South series); winners advancing to the Second Qualifiers.
b. Second Qualifiers (2 rounds) - 32 teams divided in three zones
Participating teams: 20 First Round winners; 12 eliminated in Concachampions' second round of Qualifiers.
Teams are divided in 8 pools of 4 teams each:
North Zone: 2 pools, 8 teams (USA/CAN);
Central Zone: 2 pools, 8 teams (MEX);
South Zone: 4 pools, 16 teams (UNCAF/CFU; eventually, 1 USA or CAN).
First round (semifinals) and second round (finals) in home-and-away series. The 8 pool champions advance to the Final Stage (or "Liga Concacaf").
II. "Liga Concacaf" (February to May)
Finals (4 rounds) - 16 teams
Participating teams: 8 Third Round winners; 8 eliminated in Concachampions' Second Qualifiers.
The Finals would be exactly like Concachampions.
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What do you all think? Any doubts on my proposal and/or Concacaf's?
Is my proposal better or worse than what Concacaf is doing?
