Forge FC to play in El Salvador on Oct. 22 in CONCACAF League preliminary round

HAMILTON — Forge FC will play CD Municipal Limeno in El Salvador on Oct. 22 in the preliminary round of the Scotiabank CONCACAF League.

The winner will then play at Panama’s Tauro FC on Nov. 3.

The CONCACAF League draw was held Sept. 22 but the exact games dates were released Tuesday. The 22-team competition is a feeder tournament, sending the winner and next five best-ranked clubs to the 2021 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.

The CONCACAF League is scheduled to run Oct. 20 through Jan. 28. The tournament was originally slated to run from July to November but was postponed due to the global pandemic.

Preliminary round and round of 16 matches will be played as single-game ties at the highest-ranked club’s stadium. All other rounds will be played as home and away ties.

Forge, which defeated HFX Wanderers in the Island Games final on Sept. 19, has a chance to qualify directly to the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League by defeating Toronto FC in the Canadian Championship final.

Canada Soccer has not said what would happen to the Canadian CONCACAF League berth if Forge qualifies for the Champions League by the Canadian Championship route. The date and location for the Canadian final also have yet to be announced.

In 2019, Forge downed Guatemala’s Antigua GFC in the CONCACAF League preliminary round before losing Olimpia of Honduras in the round of 16.

Scotiabank CONCACAF League (home team listed first)

Preliminary Round

Tuesday, Oct. 20

Arcahaie FC (Haiti) vs. Verdes FC (Belize)

CD FAS (El Salvador) vs. Managua FC (Nicaragua)

Wednesday, Oct. 21

CA Independiente (Panama) vs. Antigua GFC (Guatemala)

LD Alajuelense (Costa Rica) vs. Cibao FC (Dominican Republic)

Thursday, October 22, 2020

CD Municipal Limeno (El Salvador) vs. Forge FC (Canada)

FC Motagua (Honduras) vs. Comunicaciones FC (Guatemala)

Round of 16

Tuesday, Nov. 3

Tauro FC (Panama) vs. CD Municipal Limeno or Forge FC

San Francisco FC (Panama) vs. LD Alajuelense or Cibao FC

CD Marathon (Honduras) vs. CA Independiente or Antigua GFC

Wednesday, Nov. 4

Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica) vs. CSD Municipal (Guatemala)

Alianza FC (El Salvador) vs. FC Motagua or Comunicaciones FC

Thursday, Nov. 5

Waterhouse FC (Jamaica) vs. Arcahaie FC or Verdes FC

CS Herediano (Costa Rica) vs. Real Esteli FC (Nicaragua)

CD Olimpia (Honduras) vs. CD FAS or Managua FC

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. 28, 2020.

The Canadian Press