Champions League 2012/2013

<p>

<b>Qualification:</b>

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24 teams from the 40 CONCACAF member countries qualify for the competition:

12 teams from the 7 UNCAF countries (2 teams each from El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala and Panama; and 1 team each from Nicaragua and Belize);

9 teams from the 3 NAFU countries (4 teams each from the United States and Mexico and 1 team from Canada);

3 teams from the 30 CFU countries (3 teams from the CFU Club Championship).

Belize does not enter a team, since the country lacks an adequate stadium. As a result, El Salvador gets a 3rd team in the competition.

<b>Group stage:</b>

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<b>Format:</b>

24 teams are drawn into 8 groups of 3 teams.

Teams are seeded into 3 pots of 8 teams each, based on their country and ranking from their own championship as follows:

pot A: 2 teams each from the United States and Mexico; and 1 team each from Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala and Panama;

pot B: 2 teams each from the United States and Mexico; and 1 team each from Canada, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Honduras;

pot C: the 3 CFU representatives; 2 teams from El Salvador and 1 team each from Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua.

Each of the groups consists of one team from each of the three pots.

Teams from the same country cannot be drawn into the same group (does not apply for the additional team from El Salvador that replaces the Belize representative).

Teams from the United States and Mexico cannot be drawn into the same group.

Each team plays the others from its own group twice - home and away - for a total of 4 games each, over 6 game weeks.

<b>Scoring points:</b>

3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss.

<b>Table order:</b>

1. points won; 2. points in head-to-head matches; 3. goal difference in hth matches; 4. away goals in hth matches; 5. total goal difference; 6. total goals scored; 7. total away goals scored; 8. draw.

<b>Qualification for the Knockout stage:</b>

1 place of each group: qualify for the Knockout stage

<b>Knockout stage:</b>

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<b>Format:</b>

8 teams from the Group stage contest the winner in a knockout format.

Teams are ranked 1st to 8th based on their Group stage record.

<b>Quarter-finals:</b>

8 teams are paired as follows:

1st ranked vs 8th ranked (match 1);

2nd ranked vs 7th ranked (match 2);

3rd ranked vs 6th ranked (match 3);

4th ranked vs 5th ranked (match 4);

Winners are decided over two legs, with the higher ranked teams hosting the second legs.

<b>Semi-finals:</b>

4 teams are paired as follows:

winner match 1 vs winner match 4 (match A);

winner match 2 vs winner match 3 (match B).

Winners are decided over two legs, with the winners of matches 1 and 2 hosting the second legs.

<b>Final:</b>

The two Semi-finals winners meet each other with the winner becoming 2012/2013 CONCACAF Champions League winner.

Winner is decided over two legs, with the winner of match A hosting the second leg.

<b>Tie-breakers for the knockout matches over two legs:</b>

1. aggregate score from the two legs, 2.* away goals, 3. extra time, 4. penalties.

* - the away goals rule does not apply during extra time.

<b>Qualification for FIFA competitions:</b>

winner: 2013 FIFA Club World Cup</p>