Can a soccer expert please explain to me the Euro Leagues/ Champions League to me. How did it get narrowed down to those 2 out of all the European teams. What is the NBA of soccer?
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Champions_League This might help. I'm not an expert on exactly how teams get into it, but from what I know the top 4 (I believe maybe sometimes different numbers) of the big leagues in Europe are invited to the tournament. In the fall its a group stage with 4 teams in each group. Each team plays each other twice, and the top 2 teams advance to the knockout rounds, starting in Feb. I believe. Each round is two-legged, one on each teams field. The final is not two-legged and is played at a predetermined neutral field. As far as I know, no team has ever actually played a final on their own field. Teams who do well but do not qualify for the champions league can qualify for the UEFA cup. This is just like the champions league but not as prestigious. I'm sure I've left out some details or screwed up on something, but thats the basis of it. and to answer your last question, I would say that the Champions League is the biggest soccer tournament in the world, even bigger then the World Cup in my opinion. The main differences between the two are that the World Cup is an international tournament and every 4 years, where as the CL is not international and every year. Some people argue the Champions League is more important, and some argue that the World Cup is bigger.
Practically every country in Europe has its own NBA of soccer, though there are only six or seven that are worth anything, and the best teams from those leagues and a few others come together every year in an elimination tournament which is the Champions League.
The Champions League is basically the NBA of soccer. Think of it like NCAA basketball. The cream of the crop from each league gets together and has a tournament to see who is the true Champion. I would be cool if at least the MLS champion could get an invite to it within the next five years.
A team from MLS are not allowed to enter the UEFA Champions League, but they can enter the CONCACAF Champions League though. Soccer is divided up by location. UEFA (the Union of European Football) is the governing body of European Soccer. CONCACAF is the governing body of North America and Central America. Their are 4 other unions over their respective areas. The FIFA Club World Cup pits the winners of each Champions League in a tournament. This tournament isn't considered to be that important for teams and are not taken serious by some of the upper echelon teams that make it this far.
An MLS team has to win the CONCACAF Champions League first If the CL ever opens the tourney up to guest teams that would be interesting, but it is hard to imagine that ever happening at this point. Crazier things have happened. I can't wait til an MLS team accepts an invitation to play in Copa America. EDIT: I meant Copa Sudamericana , that will be dope! The Copa Sudamericana allows two guest teams I think, and the possibility of an MLS team being invited has been talked about before.
Just finished watching the ManU v Barcelona game. Can't believe how much faster the game is played over their compared to the Timbers!
I don't have a sister. I do have a very flamboyant brother though. Don't worry.. it fools a lot of people.
