Post by Perm on Nov 6, 2007 9:01:57 GMT 10
A-League joins the world game as pioneers of the Pan-Pacific championship
Michael Cockring
November 6, 2007
AN ANNUAL tournament involving clubs from Australia, Japan and the United States will be launched in Hawaii next February, with Football Federation Australia admitting it hopes to host the event in the near future.
The Pan-Pacific championship is expected to be unveiled in the next fortnight - possibly to coincide with Sydney FC's high-profile exhibition match against Los Angeles Galaxy at Telstra Stadium on November 27.
The Pan-Pacific championship will involve two American clubs, one A-League club, and the winners of Japan's Nabisco Cup. The event is being underwritten by Major League Soccer [MLS]. The LA Galaxy are guaranteed their place on an annual basis; Gamba Osaka will represent Japan next year after winning the Nabisco Cup at the weekend.
The other two spots will go to the MLS champions [to be decided later this month] and the A-League champions, although for the inaugural event the FFA will send the losers of this season's preliminary final because the grand final [which decides the championship] has been delayed to accommodate the start of the Socceroos' World Cup campaign.
Prizemoney will be paid to three of the four teams, but all teams will have their expenses covered. The inaugural tournament will be played between February 21-23 - a timeslot that will enable A-League clubs that qualify for the Asian Champions League to still compete. Ultimately, Mexican clubs are expected to be invited to increase the marketability and profile of the competition.
"It's an idea that's been discussed for several months, and we're very pleased that it's going ahead," said FFA's chief commercial officer, John O'Sullivan.
"We see it as furthering our relationship with MLS, and giving our clubs important international competition. The prizemoney has yet to be decided, and at the start we're probably not talking millions of dollars. But down the track we think this could be quite a lucrative event, and it's something we definitely would like to host sooner rather than later."
Michael Cockring
November 6, 2007
AN ANNUAL tournament involving clubs from Australia, Japan and the United States will be launched in Hawaii next February, with Football Federation Australia admitting it hopes to host the event in the near future.
The Pan-Pacific championship is expected to be unveiled in the next fortnight - possibly to coincide with Sydney FC's high-profile exhibition match against Los Angeles Galaxy at Telstra Stadium on November 27.
The Pan-Pacific championship will involve two American clubs, one A-League club, and the winners of Japan's Nabisco Cup. The event is being underwritten by Major League Soccer [MLS]. The LA Galaxy are guaranteed their place on an annual basis; Gamba Osaka will represent Japan next year after winning the Nabisco Cup at the weekend.
The other two spots will go to the MLS champions [to be decided later this month] and the A-League champions, although for the inaugural event the FFA will send the losers of this season's preliminary final because the grand final [which decides the championship] has been delayed to accommodate the start of the Socceroos' World Cup campaign.
Prizemoney will be paid to three of the four teams, but all teams will have their expenses covered. The inaugural tournament will be played between February 21-23 - a timeslot that will enable A-League clubs that qualify for the Asian Champions League to still compete. Ultimately, Mexican clubs are expected to be invited to increase the marketability and profile of the competition.
"It's an idea that's been discussed for several months, and we're very pleased that it's going ahead," said FFA's chief commercial officer, John O'Sullivan.
"We see it as furthering our relationship with MLS, and giving our clubs important international competition. The prizemoney has yet to be decided, and at the start we're probably not talking millions of dollars. But down the track we think this could be quite a lucrative event, and it's something we definitely would like to host sooner rather than later."
