u/Ok-Communication706

My father-in-law is from Brockton, born in 1941, and we’re trying to track down a particular pizza he remembers. From what I can gather, it’s some
version of South Shore bar pizza, but with a more pronounced cheddar flavor and a tangier sauce.

The three main clues from him:

Cape Cod Cafe on Main St in Brockton in the 1950s had it. We’ve both eaten there more recently and tried the frozen pizzas, but the cheese and sauce aren’t what he remembers.

Paul’s in Falmouth in the 1980s got it right, but he says the cheese isn’t quite the same anymore.

Golden Goose in the North End also had the pizza he’s talking about in the 2000s one day but then literally not the next day he went back (or ever again).

He liked Town Spa, but that wasn’t quite it either. The cheese and sauce seem to be the sticking points.

Does this ring a bell for anyone, especially people who remember those places back then? Was there a particular cheese blend or sauce style that’s become less common?

He’s visiting next month, and we’d love to drive him around to a few places that might have it.

This weekend I was at game, first game at top level for U11s.

There's a parent, we'll call him Mr. Smith, coaching from the sidelines in the first 5 minutes of the game.

The HC yells, "MR. SMITH, LET YOUR DAUGHTER MAKE HER OWN DECISIONS!"

Everyone laughs including Mr. Smith (very respected coach). No parents from either team say a peep sideline coaching wise the rest of the game.

Just for fun. Listed in order of popularity

Kid (10F):

Messi / Argentina - worn so much it's ragged.

Trinity Rodman / USWNT - having a great season and she's been really excited about her recently. We recently saw her play in Providence and she did not disappoint.

Messi / Barca

Lamine Yamal / Barca - She likes Barca and Lamine's playing style, but WC was ride or die with Messi.

Lily Reale / Boston Legacy - we were there for her Legacy debut and loved the way she played/communicated.

Carli Lloyd / USWNT - her first jersey! getting too small and ragged, and displaced by Trinity.

Shalrie Joseoph / NE Revs - got her this for a Revs game but she has no idea who he is and whenever we got to a game it's always too darn cold.

Me (45M)

Trinity Rodman / USWNT - I wear this jersey when I coach girls because I’m a big NWSL fan, Trinity is an incredible player, and I think it’s important for girls to see that women’s sports deserve the same enthusiasm, fandom, and support as any other sport.

Lee Kang In / PSG - We went to PSG to see Messi/Neymar/Mbappe in 2023 but none played. So we joined with the Korean's celebrating Lee's debut. We became PSG fans at just the right time!

Steve Ralston - NE Revolution - Vintage rep of a player that has my pickup game playing step.

Antonio Cassano / Roma - Last name is a nickname for my daughter, and the red color makes it easy for kids to spot (often worn reffing scrimmages)

Lost to time/move/wife throwing out my junk: a knockoff Zidane, a nameless Brazilian jersey, a names Hong Kong national team, Clint Dempsey MNT, Taylor Twellman Revs.

Well. That was a dumpster fire of a performance by the MLS clubs in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals. It's time (once again) to look at 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup qualification.

Some notes on conventions:

• I use trigrams for clubs on first reference, even when we all know who we're talking about.
• While we don't have tournament regulations yet for the 2027 tournament, Concacaf has at least confirmed the qualifying methods. We will assume that anything not released yet is the same rules as 2026.
• If you see the term "named berth", this means any berth that is not simply given to the next best club in the standings that isn't already qualified.
• I refer to weekends by their Saturday and midweeks by their Wednesday, unless a specific singular date has been declared.
• Clubs in bold have qualified for 2027 Champions Cup; bold and italics indicates a bye directly to the Round of 16.

#WHAT'S NEW

• The Central American Cup has a knockout bracket!
• The Leagues Cup semifinals are set!

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#COMPETITIONS THAT HAVE CONCLUDED

##LigaMX

###Qualification Rules

• Six clubs qualify for Champions Cup through LigaMX.
• Both the 2025 Apertura and 2026 Clausura champions qualify; of these two clubs, the one with the most points between the two tournaments qualifies directly to the Round of 16. The other qualifies for the First Round.
  • Note that if either champion wins Leagues Cup, then both champions qualify for the Round of 16.
• Both the 2025 Apertura and 2026 Clausura runners-up qualify for the First Round.
• In addition, the two clubs with the most points between the two tournaments, not already qualified, will qualify for the First Round.
  • If any club qualifies through two or more named berths, then an additional club will qualify through points for each excess named berth so held.

###Results

• Toluca [MEX] defeated Tigres [MEX] in the 2025 Apertura final on penalties.
• Cruz Azul [MEX] defeated Pumas [MEX] in the 2026 Clausura final, 2-1.
  • Cruz Azul was tops in the aggregate table (Toluca was second), so they get the bye to the Round of 16.
• The next highest ranked clubs are Chivas [MEX], who were third in the aggregate table, and América [MEX], who were fifth.

---

#COMPETITIONS IN PROGRESS

##Major League Soccer

###Qualification Rules

• Five clubs qualify for Champions Cup through MLS.
• The 2026 MLS Cup champion qualifies directly to the Round of 16.
  • Note that if the MLS Cup champion also wins Leagues Cup, the MLS Cup runner-up qualifies directly to the Round of 16.
• Both regular season conference champions qualify for the First Round.
• In addition, the two clubs with the most points in the regular season, not already qualified, shall qualify for the First Round.
  • If a club qualifies for Champions Cup through two or more named berths (other than Open Cup champion or Canadian Championship winner), then an additional club with the most points in the regular season, not already qualified, shall qualify for the First Round.
• Note that these berths are not country-locked; this is a relatively new policy starting with qualification for the 2025 tournament.

###Analysis

• Leading the Supporters Shield table is Nashville SC [USA]; Vancouver Whitecaps [USA] lead the Western Conference.
• The next two best are Inter Miami [USA] and Houston Dynamo [USA].
• If one of these were to win MLS Cup, then the last berth would currently fall to Chicago Fire [USA], who currently lead New England Revolution [USA] on goal difference.
• Nashville’s magic number to clinch a playoff berth is currently 10; their magic number to clinch a Champions Cup berth is 24.
• The regular season ends on November 7.

##Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup

###Qualification Rules

• One club qualifies for Champions Cup through the Open Cup.
• This berth goes to the club that wins the Open Cup.
  • Should the Open Cup champion already qualify for Champions Cup by other means, the Open Cup runner-up qualifies for Champions Cup.
  • If both the Open Cup champion and runner-up qualify for Champions Cup by other means, then this berth reverts to the club with the most points in the 2026 MLS season, not already qualified. (The regulations do not say that this berth is country-locked but honestly it should be.)

###Analysis

• The semifinals are set!
  • Columbus Crew [USA] v Orlando City SC [USA]
  • Colorado Rapids [USA] v St. Louis City SC [USA]
• The semifinals are set for the midweek of September 16; the final is set for October 21.

##Canadian Premier League

###Qualification Rules

• Two clubs qualify for Champions Cup through the CPL.
• The 2026 North Star Cup winner qualifies for the First Round.
• The 2026 CPL shield winner qualifies for the First Round.
• Should a club win both named berths, the second-place club in the table will take a berth instead.

###Analysis

• Cavalry [CAN] currently leads the shield race with 43 points from 19 matches. They lead Forge FC [CAN] by two points and Atlético Ottawa [CAN] by ten points.
• Cavalry’s magic number to clinch a playoff berth is 9; their magic number to clinch Champions Cup participation is 26.
• The regular season ends on October 25.

##Canadian Championship

###Qualification Rules

• One club qualifies for Champions Cup through the Canadian Championship.
• This berth goes to the club that wins the Canadian Championship.
  • Should the Canadian Championship winner already qualify for Champions Cup by other means, the Canadian Championship runner-up qualifies for Champions Cup.
  • If both the Canadian Championship winner and runner-up qualify for Champions Cup by other means, then this berth goes to the Canadian Championship semifinalist with the better performance in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, not already qualified.

###Analysis

• The semifinals are set! (First team listed hosts the second leg.)
  • (4) CF Montréal [CAN] v (1) Vancouver Whitecaps [CAN]
  • (2) Forge FC [CAN] v Supra du Québec [CAN]
• Just looking ahead for potential tiebreakers:
  • CF Montréal won both of their quarterfinal matches.
  • Vancouver Whitecaps, Forge FC, and Supra du Québec all have a win and a draw.
  • The Whitecaps have a goal difference of +3, Supra has +2, and Forge has +1.
• It’s been decided that the winner of the Whitecaps/Montréal series will host the final.
• The semifinals are scheduled for the midweeks of September 2 and 16; the final is on October 21.

##Leagues Cup

###Qualification Rules

• Three clubs qualify for Champions Cup through the Leagues Cup.
• The 2026 Leagues Cup champion qualifies directly to the Round of 16.
• The runner-up and third place club qualifies for the First Round.

###Analysis

• The semifinals are set!
  • América [MEX] v Monterrey [MEX]
  • Toluca [MEX] v León [MEX]
• Since both Toluca and América have already qualified for Concacaf Champions Cup (and at least one of them will finish in the top three), Pachuca [MEX] will qualify.
• Either Monterrey will finish in the top three or both Toluca and América will, so Monterrey [MEX] qualifies as well.
• The final qualifier will be León if they make it into the top three; if they do not, Tijuana [MEX] will qualify.
• The semifinals are scheduled for the midweek of September 2; the final and third-place match for September 6.

##Central American Cup

###Qualification Rules

• Six clubs qualify for Champions Cup through the Central American Cup.
• The champion of Central American Cup qualifies directly to the Round of 16.
• The three remaining semifinalists all qualify for the First Round.
• In addition, two play-in winners (amongst losing quarterfinalists) qualify for the First Round.

###Analysis

• The group stage is finished!
  • In Group A, Alajuelense [CRC] finished top of the group with 9 points; LA Firpo [SLV] finished second with 7 points.
  • In Group B, Alianza [SLV] finished on 9 points to win the group; Marathón [HON] finished second on 7 points, beating out Herediano [CRC] on goal difference.
  • In Group C, Olimpia [HON] won all four games and finished on 12 points; Saprissa [CRC] finished second on 9 points.
  • In Group D, Cartaginés [CRC] and Motagua [HON] finished tied on 8 points; Cartaginés finished top of the group on discipline.
• The quarterfinals are set! (First team listed hosts the second leg.)
  • (1) Olimpia v (8) LA Firpo
  • (4) Cartaginés v (5) Saprissa
  • (2) Alajuelense v (7) Marathón
  • (3) Alianza v (6) Motagua
• The quarterfinals are on the midweeks of September 9 and 16; the semifinals and play-in are on the midweeks of October 21 and 28; the final is on December 2 and 6.

##Caribbean Cup

###Qualification Rules

• Three clubs qualify for Champions Cup through the Caribbean Cup.
• The champion of Caribbean Cup qualifies directly to the Round of 16.
• The runner-up and third place club qualify for the First Round.

###Analysis

• Two matchdays of five are in the books!
  • In Group A, Violette [HAI] has 6 points from 2 games, while Sando FC [TRI] won its one game and is ahead of Defence Force [TRI] (who’ve split their games) on goal difference. Delfines del Este [DOM] have lost their only game; Broki [SUR] have lost both of theirs.
  • In Group B: Both Salcedo [DOM] and Cibao [DOM] sit on 4 points from 2 games; Salcedo is ahead on discipline. Cavalier [JAM] have drawn both their games; both Mount Pleasant [JAM] and Portmore United [JAM] have lost their only game thus far.
• The semifinals are currently:
  • Violette v Cibao
  • Salcedo v Sando FC
• The group stage ends on the midweek of September 16; the semifinals are on the midweeks of October 14 and 21; the final and third-place matches are on December 1 and 5.

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#THE DRAW AS IT STANDS NOW

###The Expected Format

It's expected that the draw will be the same format as 2026.

• The better LigaMX champion, the MLS champion, the Leagues Cup champion, the Central American Cup champion, and the Caribbean Cup champion will be placed into the bracket in ranking order.
• The top three First Round clubs in the Concacaf Club Ranking will, likewise, be placed into the bracket.
• The next eight First Round clubs in the Concacaf Club Ranking will be seeded and randomly drawn into the bracket.
• The remaining eleven First Round clubs will be unseeded and randomly drawn into the bracket.

###Lazy Projections

I'm going to project the field by making simple assumptions:

• For the Canadian Championship, we’ll go by the explicit seeding.
• In MLS and CPL, the club currently leading the table wins the playoffs and berths still go in standings order.
• In Open Cup, Leagues Cup, Central American Cup, and Caribbean Cup, we’ll use current brackets, but Concacaf Club Rankings to determine the winners.

This leads to the following projections:

• Toluca beats América in the Leagues Cup final, with Monterrey beating León in the third place game. (This would qualify Tijuana.)
• Nashville wins MLS Cup, with Vancouver, Inter Miami, Houston, and Chicago qualifying through MLS.
• Columbus wins the Open Cup over St. Louis.
• Cavalry wins CPL with Forge qualifying.
• The Whitecaps beat Forge in the Canadian Championship final; with both clubs qualifying by other means, the berth goes to fourth-seeded CF Montréal.
• The Central American Cup is won by Olimpia over Alajuelense in the final; Saprissa and Motagua make the semifinals; Cartaginés and Marathón win the play-in round.
• The Caribbean Cup is won by Violette over Sando FC; Cibao takes third.

The seeding would then look as follows:

• First round byes: Toluca (1), Cruz Azul (3), Nashville (6), Olimpia (29), Violette (64)
• Placed into the bracket: Tigres (2), América (4), Chivas (7)
• Seeded: Inter Miami (8), Vancouver Whitecaps (9), Columbus (10), Monterrey (11), Pachuca (12), Chicago (14), Pumas (17), Tijuana (25)
• Unseeded: Houston (27), Alajuelense (39), Saprissa (42), CF Montréal (49), Cavalry (51), Forge (53), Motagua (55), Cartaginés (56), Marathón (58), Cibao (78), Sando FC (128)

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Eight berths have been handed out so far; that leaves nineteen berths yet to be assigned!

Our next expected update will be on Monday, September 21. By that point:

• the group stage of the Caribbean Cup will be completed
• we’ll know the finalists in both the U.S. Open Cup and the Canadian Championship
• we’ll have our first four qualifiers out of Central America

If you have any questions, please, don't hesitate to ask me here, and I will attempt to answer them to the best of my ability!

Hi all,

I just wanted to communicate that I changed our app policy to eliminate the monthly thread, and going forward no self-promotion or app research will be permitted at all. I have been fairly quick on deleting spam posts and banning users, so hopefully you have seen a substantial reduction in spam. Please continue to flag spam posts. Thank you.

-Mod OKC