2011 World Football Challenge


The 2011 World Football Challenge was the second World Football Challenge event, a series of friendly football matches played in the United States and Canada in July and August.

Participants

The 2011 tournament increased in scale from the 2009 incarnation, bringing in thirteen teams from seven different countries. All the teams were either a member of the UEFA or CONCACAF federations. The field was highlighted by Spanish league and European champions Barcelona and English champion Manchester United. Club América was the only team that returned from the 2009 competition.
This tournament for the first time also included five teams from Major League Soccer, the top-flight league for the host countries, United States and Canada. As another first, there were games played outside the United States, at Empire Field in Vancouver and BMO Field in Toronto.
North American clubs that competed in 2011 included Chicago Fire, Guadalajara, Club América, Los Angeles Galaxy, New England Revolution, Philadelphia Union, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
Four representatives from Europe's top leagues of England and Spain, all of whom won their country's blue ribbon competitions in the 2010–11 season joined the North American clubs, those being: Spanish and European champions Barcelona, FA Cup winners Manchester City, Premier League champions Manchester United and Copa del Rey winners Real Madrid.
TeamLocationConfederationProfessional LeagueNotes
Manchester UnitedManchester, EnglandUEFAPremier League2010–11 Premier League champions
New England RevolutionFoxborough, MassachusettsCONCACAFMajor League Soccer2010 North American SuperLiga runner-up
Real MadridMadrid, SpainUEFALa Liga2010–11 Copa del Rey holders
Los Angeles GalaxyLos Angeles, CaliforniaCONCACAFMajor League Soccer2010 MLS Supporters' Shield holders
Club AméricaMexico City, MexicoCONCACAFPrimera División de México2011 Primera División de México Clausura Liguilla quarter-finalists
Manchester CityManchester, EnglandUEFAPremier League2010–11 FA Cup holders
Vancouver Whitecaps FCVancouver, British ColumbiaCONCACAFMajor League Soccer2011 Canadian Championship runner-up
GuadalajaraGuadalajara, MexicoCONCACAFPrimera División de México2011 Primera División de México Clausura Liguilla semi-finalists
Chicago FireChicago, IllinoisCONCACAFMajor League Soccer2009 North American SuperLiga runner-up
Philadelphia UnionPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaCONCACAFMajor League Soccer
JuventusTurin, ItalyUEFASerie A
BarcelonaBarcelona, SpainUEFALa Liga2010–11 La Liga and 2010–11 UEFA Champions League winners
Sporting CPLisbon, PortugalUEFAPrimeira Liga

Event rules

The event rules differed considerably from the 2009 event, due to differences in the number of teams.

Match rules

Match rules followed the Laws of the Game, with a few notable exceptions.
The format was a single table, accruing points as follows:
Sporting CP, who played only one game, did not accrue points, but their opponent, Juventus, were able to in their matchup. The five Major League Soccer teams were split up into two different "clubs" for the purposes of the table, the MLS Eastern Conference, and the MLS Western Conference. Each of the other seven clubs played three games and accrued points as normal.

Table tiebreakers

In the event of a tie in the final table standings, the following tiebreakers were used in order:
  1. Regulation goal difference
  2. Most goals for in regulation
  3. Fewest goals against in regulation
  4. Most goals scored in regulation in one match
  5. Drawing of lots

    Standings

Matches

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Top goalscorers

Media coverage