The CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round is set to kick off the 2010-11 edition of the tournament Tuesday evening. Action kicked off for the current seasons over the past weekend as well in Mexico, Costa Rica and Guatemala. With plenty of action in the United States over the past month in league action and SuperLiga, it is time for an update of the SNA CONCACAF Pro Club Power Rankings.
SuperLiga marked the beginning of international competition for the 2010-11 CONCACAF calendar with Mexican and MLS clubs squaring off against one another. The biggest surprise through the conclusion of the group stage is the performance of New England, which swept their series that included a pair of quality sides in Morelia and Pumas. The three victories contrast the Revolution’s league play, which has seen them drop three of the last four. Similarly Houston, winless in their last seven league games, finished 2-0-1 in their group. Morelia and Puebla also advanced from their groups to the semifinals, respectively.
Defending Clausura playoff champions Toluca were unable to open the new Apertura campaign with a positive result in Mexico, falling 2-1 to Pumas, who failed to record a point in SuperLiga the previous two weeks. The regular season Clausura champions, Monterrey, also got off to a slow start with a 1-1 draw against San Luis, who recorded only three wins whilst finishing last in the Clausura.
Looking good on opening weekend of the Mexican Apertura were Pachuca, Santos Laguna and Cruz Azul. Pachuca dropped America 3-0, Santos drubbed Atlante 4-1 and Cruz Azul blanked Tecos 3-0.
Further south, another champion dropped their opener as Saprissa, Torneo de Verano season and playoff title winner, was upset in the Costa Rican Torneo de Invierno opener, falling 1-0 to San Carlos. CCL-bound Apertura champion Brujas, which dropped to the bottom of the table in the Clausura, fell in the opener 1-0.
In Guatemala, CCL-bound Xelaju started its campaign with a 2-1 victory over Penarol la Mesilla. Municpal, the defending Clausura champion were big winners, 4-0, against Universidad de San Carlos while Clausura regular season champion Comunicaciones were narrowly victorious against Heredia, 1-0.
Around the United States, two of the hottest teams in MLS are FC Dallas, unbeaten over the last seven, and the New York Red Bulls, who have one loss in their last six games. Dropping a step, a handful of clubs have performed well of late. Vancouver has one loss in the last 11 and Carolina one defeat in the last 10. Similarly, Austin has one loss in their last 14, and is unbeaten for five games as is Portland. CCL-bound Puerto Rico is beginning to find its usual form after struggling, dropping just one of seven games heading into the tournament. In the USL Second Division, Pittsburgh has climbed out of the cellar into third and Charleston is unbeaten over the last four games.
In the Caribbean, the Trinidad & Tobago professional league wrapped up the season in early July with Defence Force completing the season with a perfect 10-0-0 record, outscoring the opposition 27-8 on aggregate. The next closes club was 5-1-4 Joe Public, which led a group of five teams that finished within four points of one another. Among them were W Connection and San Juan Jabloteh.
SNA CONCACAF Pro Power Rankings
Previous List [+] / CCL clubs in yellow
1 Santos Laguna (MEX)
2 Cruz Azul (MEX)
3 Monterrey (MEX)
4 Pumas UNAM (MEX)
5 Toluca (MEX)
6 Morelia (MEX)
7 Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)
8 FC Dallas (MLS)
9 Real Salt Lake (MLS)
10 Columbus Crew (MLS)
11 Puebla (MEX)
12 Chivas Guadalajara (MEX)
13 Pachuca (MEX)
14 San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
15 New York Red Bulls (MLS)
16 FC Toronto (MLS)
17 Olimpia (HON)
18 Motagua (HON)
19 San Luis (MEX)
20 Queretaro (MEX)
21 Tigres UANL (MEX)
22 Atlante (MEX)
23 Alajuelense (CRC)
24 Colorado Rapids (MLS)
25 Atlas (MEX)
26 Houston Dynamo (MLS)
27 Chicago Fire (MLS)
28 America (MEX)
29 Jaguares Chiapas (MEX)
30 Necaxa (MEX)
31 Estudiantes Tecos (MEX)
32 Austin Aztex (USSFD2)
33 Vancouver Whitecaps (USSFD2)
34 New England Revolution (MLS)
35 Platense (HON)
36 Portland Timbers (USSFD2)
37 Carolina RailHawks (USSFD2)
38 Charleston Battery (USL2)
39 Puerto Rico Islanders (USSFD2)
40 Montreal Impact (USSFD2)
41 Rochester Rhinos (USSFD2)
42 Philadelphia Union (MLS)
43 Municipal (GUA)
44 Xelaju (GUA)
45 Seattle Sounders (MLS)
46 Comunicaciones (GUA)
47 Kansas City Wizards (MLS)
48 Defence Force (TRI)
49 Richmond Kickers (USL2)
50 Chivas USA (MLS)
51 Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL2)
52 Aguilas (SLV)
53 Firpo (SLV)
54 Vista Hermosa (SLV)
55 Isidro Metapan (SLV)
56 Atletico Balboa (SLV)
57 Vida (HON)
58 Marathon (HON)
59 San Carlos (CRC)
60 Herediano (CRC)
61 Suchitepiquez (GUA)
62 Penarol La Mesilla (GUA)
63 Universidad San Carlos (GUA)
64 DC United (MLS)
65 Deportivo Saprissa (CRC)
66 Joe Public (TRI)
67 W Connection (TRI)
68 Ma Pau (TRI)
69 San Juan Jabloteh (TRI)
70 Cartigenes (CRC)
71 Charlotte Eagles (USL2)
72 Real Espana (HON)
73 Santos de Guapiles (CRC)
74 Perez Zeledon (CRC)
75 Puntarenas (CRC)
76 Hispano (HON)
77 NSC Minnesota (USSFD2)
78 Harrisburg City Islanders (USL2)
79 Aribe Unido (PAN)
80 Tampa Bay Rowdies (USSFD2)
81 Crystal Palace Baltimore (USSFD2)
82 AC St Louis (USSFD2)
83 Atletico Chiriqui (PAN)
84 Chorrillo (PAN)
85 San Francisco (PAN)
86 Tauro (PAN)
87 FAS (SLV)
88 Miami FC Blues (USSFD2)
89 Real Maryland Monarchs (USL2)
90 Marquense (GUA)
91 Alianza (SLV)
92 Bayamon (PRSL)
93 Juventud Retalteca (GUA)
94 Mictlan (GUA)
95 Real Juventud (HON)
96 Deportes Savio (HON)
97 Plaza Amador (PAN)
98 Sporting San Miguelito (PAN)
99 Chepo (PAN)
100 Belize Defence Force (BEL)
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