[Frank Cunha]

. United & K.C. Wizards qualify to 2005 CONCACAF Champions’ Cup

8.11.04 - D.C. United and Kansas City Wizards qualified to the 2005 CONCACAF Champions’ Cup after winning their 2004 Major League Soccer (USA/D1) Semifinal encounters over the weekend against the visiting New England Revolution and Los Angeles Galaxy, respectively.
Both clubs, who will represent the USA in the eight-team CONCACAF Champions’ Cup next year, will also meet in the 2004 Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup Final at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California on 14 November.

The Wizards, who will be making their second appearance at the CONCACAF tournament in 2005, reached the MLS Cup Final after defeating the Galaxy 2:0 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on Friday.

The other MLS semifinal held on Saturday had D.C. United topping the Revolution 4:3 on penalty kicks after a 3:3 draw at the end of regulation and overtime in Washington D.C.’s RFK Stadium. D.C. United, who was the first USA club to win the Champions’ Cup in 1998, is making its six appearance at the annual CONCACAF event.

D.C. United and Kansas City Wizards will join Mexican League Clausura (Pumas UNAM) and Apertura (TBD) Winners, three clubs from the Union Centroamericana de Fútbol and one the Caribbean Football Union at the 2005 Champions’ Cup, which begins straight knockout home-and-away series on 9 March.

The winner of the 2005 CONCACAF Champions’ Cup will qualify to the next FIFA Club World Championship to be held in Japan in December of next year.

The CONCACAF Champions’ Cup is the longest running international club competition in the region and has crowned the champion club of the Confederation since its inception in 1962.

2005 CONCACAF CHAMPIONS’ CUP QUALIFYING
Major League Soccer/USA – Semifinals
05.11.2004: Kansas City, Missouri; Arrowhead Stadium (A: 11931)
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS – LOS ANGELES GALAXY 2:0 (1:0)
Davy ARNAUD 24’, 69’
Kansas City Wizards: Bo Oshoniyi - Alex Zotinca, Nick Garcia, Jimmy Conrad, Jose Luis Burciaga Jr., Khari Stephenson (59: Taylor Graham), Kerry Zavagnin, Diego Gutierrez, Jack Jewsbury, Josh Wolff, Davy Arnaud. Booked: Burciaga Jr. 41’, Zotinca 72’
Los Angeles Galaxy: Kevin Hartman - Chris Albright, Danny Califf (78: Alejandro Moreno), Tyrone Marshall, Paul Broome, Cobi Jones (59: Andreas Herzog), Marcelo Saragosa (62: Arturo Torres), Peter Vagenas, Sasha Victorine, Jovan Kirovski, Carlos Ruiz. Booked: Vagenas 26’, Broome 72’, Herzog 83’
R: Abbey OKULAJA

06.11.2004: Washington, D.C.; RFK Stadium (A: 21201)
D.C. UNITED – NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION 3:3 (2:2) (3:3), 4:3 pen
Alecko ESKANDARIAN 11’; Jaime MORENO 21’; Christian GOMEZ 67’ – Taylor TWELLMAN 17’; Steve RALSTON 44’ pen; Pat NOONAN 85’
D.C. United: Nick Rimando – Bryan Namoff (106: Santino Quaranta), Ezra Hendrickson, Mike Petke, Earnie Stewart (81: Brandon Prideaux), Brian Carroll, Christian Gomez (69: Freddy Adu), Ben Olsen, Joshua Gros, Alecko Eskandarian, Jaime Moreno. Booked: Eskandarian 49’, Namoff 58’, Olsen 87’
New England Revolution: Matt Reis – Jay Heaps, Rusty Pierce, Avery John, Steve Ralston, Jose Cancela (68: Andy Dorman), Clint Dempsey, Shalrie Joseph, Marshall Leonard (81: Brian Kamler), Pat Noonan, Taylor Twellman. Joseph 1’, John 55’, Pierce 62’
R: Terry VAUGHN

2005 CONCACAF Champions' Cup
Teams
CFU: Series Winner of Harbour View FC (JAM) vs. CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh (TRI)/Tivoli Gardens FC (JAM)
Mexico (2): Pumas UNAM, TBD
USA (2): D.C. United, Kansas City Wizards
UNCAF (3): CD F.A.S. (SLV), CD Olímpia (HON), CSD Municipal (GUA) or Deportivo Saprissa (CRC)

Quarterfinal Series
First leg – 9 March
Second leg – 16 March

Semifinal Series
First leg – 6 April
Second leg – 13 April

Final Series
First leg – 4 May
Second leg – 11 May

CONCACAF Champions Cup All-Time Winners
Year – Winners
1962 – Guadalajara (MEX)
1963 – Racing (HAI)
1967 – Alianza (SLV)
1968 – Toluca (MEX)
1969 – Cruz Azul (MEX)
1970 – Cruz Azul (MEX)
1971 – Cruz Azul (MEX)
1972 – Olimpia (HON)
1973 – Transvaal (SUR)
1974 – Municipal (GUA)
1975 – Atlético Español (MEX)
1976 – CD Aguila (SLV)
1977 – Club América (MEX)
1978 – Universidad de Guadalajara (MEX), CSD Comunicaciones (GUA), Defence Force (TRI)
1979 – Deportivo FAS (SLV)
1980 – UNAM (MEX)
1981 – Transvaal (SUR)
1982 – UNAM (MEX)
1983 – Altante (MEX)
1984 – Violette (HAI)
1985 – Defence Force (TRI)
1986 – LD Alajuelense (CRC)
1987 – Club América (MEX)
1988 – CD Olimpia (HON)
1989 – UNAM (MEX)
1990 – Club América (MEX)
1991 – Puebla (MEX)
1992 – Club América (MEX)
1993 – Deportivo Saprissa (CRC)
1994 – CS Cartaginés (CRC)
1995 – Deportivo Saprissa (CRC)
1996 – Cruz Azul (MEX)
1997 – Cruz Azul (MEX)
1998 – D.C. United (USA)
1999 – Necaxa (MEX)
2000 – Los Angeles Galaxy (USA)
2002 – CF Pachuca (MEX)
2003 – CD Toluca (MEX)
2004 - LD Alajuelense (CRC)

Photo #1 - Kansas City Wizards vs. Los Angeles Galaxy, by Orlin Wagner
Photo #2 - D.C. United vs. New England Revolution, by Nick Wass/AP