SEATTLE, WASH. – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) unveiled today the dates and kickoff times for the Round of 16 matches in the 2018 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League, the region’s premier club championship. Seattle Sounders FC is set to face Salvadoran club Santa Tecla FC, with the first leg in El Salvador on Thursday, February 22 before Seattle hosts the second leg on Thursday, March 1 on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field. Kickoff times for both matches are set for 7:00 p.m. PT.
Seattle’s matchup with Santa Tecla FC was determined during Monday night’s draw held in Miami. This marks the Rave Green's fifth appearance in the regional tournament that crowns a champion among a field of sixteen clubs qualified from North, Central America and the Caribbean.
The range of dates for the first leg of the SCCL Quarterfinals, to be disputed among the eight Round of 16 winners, is March 6-8. The second leg of the Quarterfinals is scheduled for March 13-15. The Semifinals and Championship home-and-away final of the competition are scheduled for April.
The 2018 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League features a new format that consists of 16 teams (down from 24) in a single-elimination tournament, with each round featuring a two-legged, home-and-home aggregate series. The away-goals tiebreaker is in effect if the score is level after 180 minutes, but if still tied, two 15-minute extra time periods would follow the second leg, as well as penalties, if necessary.
Santa Tecla FC qualified for the 2018 SCCL after winning the Salvadoran Primera División 2016 Apertura and 2017 Clausura championships. This marks the second SCCL appearance for Santa Tecla FC after failing to advance out of the Group Stage of the 2015-2016 tournament. Should Sounders FC advance to the Quarterfinals, Seattle would face the winner of Mexican giant Chivas de Guadalajara and Dominican side Cibao.
Featuring 16 squads from each of CONCACAF's three sub-regions - North America, Central America and the Caribbean - the new SCCL features only a knockout stage, getting rid of the group stage that been featured in years past. Berths are allocated by country or, in the case of the Caribbean, through a separate qualifying competition.
SCOTIABANK CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ROUND OF 16
LEG ONE: Seattle Sounders FC at Santa Tecla FC – Thursday, February 22 (7:00 p.m. PT)
LEG TWO: Seattle Sounders FC vs. Santa Tecla FC – Thursday, March 1 (7:00 p.m. PT)
