VANCOUVER, BC – It started on August 2, 2016, when Vancouver Whitecaps FC made the trek down to Trinidad & Tobago where they defeated Central FC 1-0, officially kicking off the 2016-17 CONCACAF Champions League. It started with a total of 24 teams who won their respective domestic competitions in the region of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
And now, exactly seven months later, we’re down to four.
The ‘Caps secured their first-ever semifinal berth on Thursday night at BC Place, defeating New York Red Bulls 2-0 to win the two-leg series 3-1 on aggregate. They will now face reigning Mexican champions Tigres UANL, one of the best teams in the entire region, with a berth in the final against MLS rival FC Dallas or Mexican side CF Pachuca on the line.
See the updated bracket below.
The first leg of the semifinals will be held on March 14 at Estadio Universitario in Monterrey, Nuevo León, before Whitecaps FC host the decisive leg on April 5 at BC Place (both matches will kick off at 7 p.m. PT). Tickets are on sale NOW.
The CONCACAF Champions League is a 24-team competition between the top clubs from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Whitecaps FC earned Canada’s lone entry in the tournament by winning the Voyageurs Cup in the 2015 Amway Canadian Championship.
An MLS team has never won the tournament.
The winner of the CONCACAF Champions League earns a spot in the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup – an annual seven-team tournament featuring the top teams from Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America. Real Madrid are the reigning 2016 FIFA Club World Cup champions. This year's Club World Cup will be held in the United Arab Emirates.
