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CONCACAF has today announced an exciting new format and schedule to resume this year’s edition of the Confederation’s flagship club competition, the 2020 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League (SCCL).
The 2020 SCCL was postponed in March, at the Quarterfinal Stage, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the postponement, the Round of 16 and initial Quarterfinal matches demonstrated the growing interest in the competition from fans across the region.
The Round of 16 games drew record crowds and an aggregate live broadcast audience of 3.7m. Fans enjoyed watching storied Central American clubs Comunicaciones and Alianza provide strong opposition before narrow defeats to Club America and Tigres respectively. Another highlight was a thrilling LAFC come-back win over Club León.
To resume this important competition, CONCACAF has developed extensive new SCCL regulations to ensure the delivery of a safe and highly controlled environment for all the players, coaches, team staff and officials who will participate. These include a high-frequency COVID-19 testing regime before and during the competition and robust health and safety protocols which will be strictly applied.
Through the introduction of a simplified format with single leg ties in a neutral venue, the new 2020 SCCL format includes a total of seven (7) games to crown a regional club champion.
Centralized Quarterfinals and single-leg Semifinals and Final
CONCACAF will host the Quarterfinals, single-leg Semifinals and Final in a centralized location in the USA from December 15-22, 2020. The venue and kickoff times will be confirmed in the coming weeks, with the match-dates as follows (first leg score in brackets for relevant matchups):
Quarterfinals: to be played December 15 and 16, 2020
CD Olimpia (2) vs (1) Impact Montreal
Atlanta United FC (0) vs (3) Club America
Tigres UANL (1) vs (0) NYCFC
LAFC vs Cruz Azul
Three of the Quarterfinal matchups already played the first leg of their ties prior to the competition’s postponement. For the purposes of these second leg matches, the games will be considered ‘home’ matches for the three teams which played their first leg away (CD Olimpia, Atlanta United FC and Tigres UANL).
At the end of these second leg games, should the aggregate score be level, the away goals rule will apply. Should the score be level on aggregate and away goals, matches will go straight to penalty kicks.
The Quarterfinal between LAFC and Cruz Azul did not play a first leg prior to the postponement of the competition, meaning this tie will be settled by a single match. Should the score be level at the end of the game, it will go straight to penalty kicks.
The draw for the 2020 SCCL determined each team’s possible route to the Final, and means the Semifinal matchups will be as follows:
Semifinals: to be played December 19, 2020
Semifinal 1: Club America or Atlanta United FC vs LAFC or Cruz Azul
Semifinal 2: Tigres UANL or NYCFC vs CD Olimpia or Impact Montreal
Both Semifinal matches will be single-leg ties with matches going straight to penalty kicks in the event of a draw.
The two Semifinal winners will face-off in a single leg Final. Should the score be level at the end of the match, the Final will include extra time and, if required, penalty kicks.
Final: to be played December 22, 2020
Final: Winner Semifinal 1 vs Winner Semifinal 2
The Confederation will confirm venue details in the USA for these centralized Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Final in the coming weeks.
“At CONCACAF our focus in recent months has been to continue supporting our Member Associations and the wider football family during this challenging time, and on working hard to ensure we can resume our suspended competitions,” said CONCACAF President and FIFA Vice President, Victor Montagliani.
“It has been extremely pleasing to see so many leagues across the region get back to playing football again and the time is right for our flagship club tournament, the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League, to return with the necessary protocols in place to ensure it is safe for everyone involved.”
“The football community across the region, and the fans of the remaining eight teams in particular, can look forward to an exciting centralized finale of the competition in December and the crowning of a regional club champion,” added Montagliani.
The winner of this competition will be crowned CONCACAF’s regional club champion. The current holder of the SCCL title is CF Monterrey, who defeated Tigres UANL in the 2019 final, earning their fourth championship.
CONCACAF has made the decision that these centralized final rounds of the 2020 SCCL will be played behind closed doors. Discussions are underway with the Confederation’s broadcast partners to ensure all matches are widely available for fans across the region to follow and enjoy.
2020 SCOTIABANK CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
First Leg Round of 16
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Portmore United FC (1) vs (2) Cruz Azul FC
FC Motagua (1) vs (1) Atlanta United FC
Club Leon (2) vs (0) LAFC
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Deportivo Saprissa (2) vs (2) Montreal Impact
Alianza FC (2) vs (1) Tigres UANL
Comunicaciones FC (1) vs (1) Club America
Thursday, February 20, 2020
AD San Carlos (3) vs (5) NYCFC
CD Olimpia (2) vs (2) Seattle Sounders FC
Second Leg Round of 16
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Atlanta United FC (3) vs (0) FC Motagua
Cruz Azul FC (4) vs (0) Portmore United FC
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
NYCFC (1) vs (0) AD San Carlos
Montreal Impact (0) vs (0) Deportivo Saprissa
Tigres UANL (4) vs (2) Alianza FC
Club America (1) vs (1) Comunicaciones FC (5-3 p)
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Seattle Sounders FC (2) vs (2) CD Olimpia (2-4 p)
LAFC (3) vs (0) Club Leon
First Leg Quarterfinals
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Montreal Impact (1) vs (2) CD Olimpia
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
NYCFC (0) vs (1) Tigres UANL
Club América (3) vs (0) Atlanta United FC
Second Leg Quarterfinals
December 15 and 16, 2020
CD Olimpia vs Impact Montreal
Atlanta United FC vs Club America
Tigres UANL vs NYCFC
LAFC vs Cruz Azul (single leg match)
Semifinals
Saturday, December 19, 2020
Club America or Atlanta United FC vs LAFC or Cruz Azul
Tigres UANL or NYCFC vs CD Olimpia or Impact Montreal
Final
Tuesday, December 22, 2020
Winner Semifinal 1 vs Winner Semifinal 2
