September 14, 2020 - 9:28 AM
Hamilton's Forge FC will learn its path in the 2020 Scotiabank CONCACAF League next Monday at the tournament draw in Miami.
The 22-team competition is a feeder event that will send six clubs to the 2021 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.
The CONCACAF League draw will determine pairings for the preliminary round and round of 16 matches, as well as each club's path to the final. Opening matches will be played Oct. 20 with the two-legged final wrapping up Jan. 28, 2021.
The first two rounds will be played as single-game ties at the highest-ranked club's stadium. The quarterfinals on will be played as two-game ties, with home and away matches.
Forge FC, which qualified by virtue of being the inaugural Canadian Premier League champion, will enter in the preliminary round.
The Hamilton club will be placed in Pot 2 for the draw, alongside Verdes FC of Belize, Cibao FC of the Dominican Republic, Comunicaciones FC and Antigua, both of Guatemala, and Managua FC of Nicaragua.
Preliminary Round (12 clubs)
Verdes FC (Belize), Forge FC (Canada), LD Alajuelense (Costa Rica), Cibao FC (Dominican Republic), CD FAS (El Salvador), CD Municipal Limeno (El Salvador), Antigua GFC (Guatemala), Comunicaciones FC (Guatemala), Arcahaie FC (Haiti), FC Motagua (Honduras), Managua FC (Nicaragua) and Club Atletico Independiente (Panama).
Round of 16 (10 clubs): CS Herediano (Costa Rica), Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica), Alianza FC (El Salvador), CSD Municipal (Guatemala), CD Marathon (Honduras), CD Olimpia (Honduras), Waterhouse FC (Jamaica), Real Esteli FC (Nicaragua), San Francisco FC (Panama) and Tauro FC (Panama).
CONCACAF League Schedule
October 2020
— 20-22 Preliminary Round (single-leg match)
November 2020
— 3-5: Round of 16 (single-leg match)
December 2020
— 1-3: Quarterfinals (first leg)
— 8-10: Quarterfinals (second leg)
January 2021
— 5-7: Semifinals (first leg)
— 12-14 Semifinals (second leg)
— 19-21: Final (first leg)
— 26-28: Final (second leg)
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2020.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2020