Twenty-four teams to compete for regional club championship in play kicking off August 4

Miami (Monday, June 29, 2015) – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) today unveiled the group phase schedule for the 2015/16 edition of the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League, the region’s premier competition for clubs.

The schedule for the opening Group Stage match week, to be played from August 4-6, includes action for defending CONCACAF champion Club America – set to represent the Confederation at this December’s FIFA Club World Cup in Japan. The Champions League holders will welcome Honduran side CD Motagua at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, at 10 pm ET on Wednesday, August 5, for the opener in Group E.

That match is among the first of eight slated for the opening week as Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League action begins in five of the 12 countries across the Confederation, from Trinidad & Tobago to Canada, represented in this year’s competition.

On opening night, August 4, a pair of former runners-up are in action as 2010/11 finalist Real Salt Lake visits Guatemala’s CSD Municipal, while Mexico’s Santos Laguna opens at home against perennial Caribbean Champions League contender DIRECTV W Connection. Earlier that evening in Mexico, SCCL newcomers Gallos Blancos de Queretaro begin their participation against Panama’s San Francisco FC in the season’s opening match.

Wednesday of opening week will also be a big day for Champions League action. In addition to the match in Mexico City, Canadian debutant Vancouver Whitecaps initiates its participation in the region’s most important club competition, hosting an alluring Cascadia clash against cross-border rival Seattle Sounders.

The final evening of the opening week, to be played on Thursday, August 6, features three more matches, beginning with Arabe Unido hosting SCCL newcomer Montego Bay FC, in Panama at 8 pm ET. At 10 pm, defending MLS Cup Champion LA Galaxy opens at home against Caribbean Football Union Club Championship winner Central FC, of Trinidad & Tobago. At the same time, to the south in Costa Rica, 2014/15 Champions League semifinalist CS Herediano also begins its current campaign, against AD Isidro Metapan, a perennial Champions League entrant from El Salvador.

Twenty-four teams are set to participate in this season’s Champions League, marking the eight edition in which a Confederation-wide group phase has been disputed before the knockout rounds. Sixteen clubs debut in the tournament’s first week, with the other eight – including Major League Soccer side DC United, Liga MX entrant Tigres UANL, and six more teams from the UNCAF region – entering play on the second and third match days, scheduled from August 18-20 and August 25-27.

September will feature two more rounds of play, before the group phase wraps up with a final set of encounters in October, including a number of marquee match ups likely to determine which clubs advance in the tournament.

The top club from each of the eight three-team groups advances to the knockout round. The quarterfinal, semifinal and final rounds are slated for early next year.

More information on the CONCACAF Champions League, team-by-team capsules and in-depth statistics and analysis, can be found at CONCACAF.com. The full schedule can be found below. Due to website updates, the updated schedule will be reflected on CONCACAF.com within the next 48 hours.

Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League 2015/16 Schedule
*Listed in EST

WEEK 1
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
20:00 Gallos Blancos de Queretaro (MEX) vs. San Francisco (PAN) – Estadio Corregidora, Queretaro, Mexico
22:00 Santos (MEX) vs. W Connection (TRI) – Estadio Corona, Torreon, Mexico
22:00 Club Municipal (GUA) vs. Real Salt Lake (USA) – Estadio Mateo Flores, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala

Wednesday, August 5, 2015
22:00 Vancouver Whitecaps (CAN) vs. Seattle Sounders (USA) – B.C. Place, Vancouver, Canada
22:00 Club America (MEX) vs. Motagua (HON) – Estadio Azteca, Ciudad de Mexico, D.F., Mexico

Thursday, August 6, 2015
20:00 Arabe Unido (PAN) vs. Montego Bay (JAM) – Estadio Maracana, Balboa, Panama
22:00 LA Galaxy (USA) vs. Central FC (TRI) – StubHub Center, Carson, California, USA
22:00 Herediano (CRC) vs. Isidro Metapan (CLV) – Estadio Eladio Rosabal Cordero, Heredia, Costa Rica

WEEK 2
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
20:00 Tigres (MEX) vs. Isidro Metapan (SLV) – Estadio Universitario, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
22:00 Verdes FC (BLZ) vs. Gallos Blancos de Queretaro (MEX) – F.F.B. Football Field, Belmopan, Belize
22:00 LA Galaxy (USA) vs. Comunicaciones (GUA) – StubHub Center, Carson, California, USA

Wednesday, August 19, 2015
20:00 Arabe Unido (PAN) vs. DC United (USA) – Estadio Maracana, Balboa, Panama
22:00 Seattle Sounders (USA) vs. Olimpia (HON) – CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington, USA
22:00 Club America (MEX) vs. Walter Ferretti (NCA) – Estadio Azteca, Ciudad de Mexico, D.F., Mexico

Thursday, August 20, 2015
22:00 Saprissa (CRC) vs. W Connection (TRI) – Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Ayma, San Juan de Tibas, San Jose, Costa Rica
22:00 Santa Tecla (SLV) vs. Municipal (GUA) – Estadio Atletico Las Delicias, Santa Tecla, El Salvador

WEEK 3
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
20:00 DC United (USA) vs. Montego Bay (JAM) – R.F.K. Stadium, Washington D.C., USA
22:00 Saprissa (CRC) vs. Santos (MEX) – Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Ayma, San Juan de Tibas, San Jose, Costa Rica
22:00 Club Municipal (GUA) vs. Santa Tecla (SLV) – Estadio Mateo Flores, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala

Wednesday, August 26, 2015
20:00 San Francisco (PAN) vs. Queretaro (MEX) – Estadio Maracana, Balboa, Panama
22:00 Olimpia (HON) vs. Seattle Sounders (USA) – Estadio Tiburcio Carias Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
22:00 Herediano (CRC) vs. Tigres (MEX) – Estadio Eladio Rosabal Cordero, Heredia, Costa Rica

Thursday, August 27, 2015
22:00 Comunicaciones (GUA) vs. Central FC (TRI) – Estadio Cementos Progreso, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
22:00 Motagua (HON) vs. Walter Ferretti (NCA) – Estadio Tiburcio Carias Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras

WEEK 4
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
20:00 DC United (USA) vs. Arabe Unido (PAN) – R.F.K. Stadium, Washington D.C., USA
22:00 Santa Tecla (SLV) vs. Real Salt Lake (USA) – Estadio Atletico Las Delicias, Santa Tecla, El Salvador

Wednesday, September 16, 2015
20:00 W Connection (TRI) vs. Saprissa (CRC) – Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
22:00 Vancouver Whitecaps (CAN) vs. Olimpia (HON) – B.C. Place, Vancouver, Canada
22:00 Walter Ferretti (NCA) vs. Club America (MEX) – Estadio Nacional de Futbol de Nicaragua, Managua, Nicaragua

Thursday, September 17, 2015
20:00 Central FC (TRI) vs. Comunicaciones (GUA) – Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
22:00 Gallos Blancos de Queretaro (MEX) vs. Verdes FC (BLZ) – Estadio Corregidora, Queretaro, Mexico
22:00 Isidro Metapan (SLV) vs. Herediano (CRC) – Estadio Jorge “Calero” Suarez, Metapan, El Salvador

WEEK 5
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
20:00 Montego Bay (JAM) vs. DC United (USA) – Montego Bay Sports Complex, Montego Bay, Jamaica
20:00 W Connection (TRI) vs. Santos (MEX) – Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
22:00 Verdes (BLZ) vs. San Francisco (PAN) – F.F.B. Football Field, Belmopan, Belize

Wednesday, September 23, 2015
20:00 Central FC (TRI) vs. LA Galaxy (USA) – Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
22:00 Seattle Sounders (USA) vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (CAN) – CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington, USA

Thursday, September 24, 2015
20:00 Walter Ferretti (NCA) vs. Motagua (HON) – Estadio Nacional de Futbol de Nicaragua, Managua, Nicaragua
22:00 Real Salt Lake (USA) vs. Santa Tecla (SLV) – Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah, USA
22:00 Isidro Metapan (SLV) vs. Tigres (MEX) – Estadio Jorge “Calero” Suarez, Metapan, El Salvador

WEEK 6
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
20:00 Santos (MEX) vs. Saprissa (CRC) – Estadio Corona, Torreon, Mexico
22:00 Motagua (HON) vs. Club America (MEX) – Estadio Tiburcio Carias Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
22:00 Real Salt Lake (USA) vs. Club Municipal (GUA) – Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah, USA

Wednesday, October 21, 2015
20:00 Tigres (MEX) vs. Herediano (CRC) – Estadio Universitario, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
22:00 Comunicaciones (GUA) vs. LA Galaxy (USA) – Estadio Cementos Progreso, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala

Thursday, October 22, 2015
20:00 Montego Bay (JAM) vs. Arabe Unido (PAN) – Montego Bay Sports Complex, Montego Bay, Jamaica
22:00 Olimpia (HON) vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (CAN) – Estadio Tiburcio Carias Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
22:00 San Francisco (PAN) vs. Verdes FC (BLZ) – Estadio Maracana, Balboa, Panama

Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League Groups and Home Stadiuns
Group A
DIRECTV W Connection FC (TRI) – Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Deportivo Saprissa (CRC) – Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Ayma, San Juan de Tibas, San Jose, Costa Rica
Club Santos Laguna (MEX) – Estadio Corona, Torreon, Mexico

Group B
Asociacion Deportiva Isidro Metapan (SLV) – Estadio Jorge “Calero” Suarez, Metapan, El Salvador
Club Sport Herediano (CRC) – Estadio Eladio Rosabal Cordero, Heredia, Costa Rica
Club Tigres de la Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon (MEX) – Estadio Universitario, Nuevo Leon, Mexico

Group C
Verdes Football Club (BLZ) – F.F.B. Football Field, Belmopan, Belize
San Francisco F.C. (PAN) – Estadio Maracana de Panama, Balboa, Panama
Gallos Blancos de Queretaro (MEX) – Estadio Corregidora, Queretaro, Mexico

Group D
Central Football Club (TRI) – Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Comunicaciones Futbol Club, S.A. (GUA) – Estadio Cementos Progreso, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
L.A. Galaxy (USA) – StubHub Center, Carson, California, USA

Group E
Club Deportivo Walter Ferretti (NCA) – Estadio Nacional de Futbol de Nicaragua, Managua, Nicaragua
Club Deportivo Motagua (HON) – Estadio Tiburcio Carias Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Club de Futbol America S.A. de C.V. (MEX) – Estadio Azteca, Ciudad de Mexico, D.F., Mexico

Group F
Vancouver Whitecaps F.C. (CAN) – B.C. Place, Vancouver, Canada
Club Olimpia Deportivo (HON) – Estadio Tiburcio Carias Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Seattle Sounders F.C. (USA) – CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington, USA

Group G
Asociacion Santa Tecla Futbol Club (SLV) – Estadio Atletico Las Delicias, Santa Tecla, El Salvador
Club Social y Deportivo Municipal (GUA) – Estadio Mateo Flores, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
Real Salt Lake (USA) – Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah, USA

Group H
Montego Bay United Football Club (JAM) – Montego Bay Sports Complex, Montego Bay, Jamaica
Deportivo Arabe Unido (PAN) – Estadio Maracana de Panama, Balboa, Panama
D.C. United (USA) – R.F.K. Stadium, Washington D.C., USA

Official Team Names (“Common” Name)
*Listed in alphabetical order

Asociacion Deportiva Isidro Metapan (Isidro Metapan)
Asociacion Santa Tecla Futbol Club (Santa Tecla F.C.)
Central Football Club (Central F.C.)
Club de Futbol America S.A. de C.V. (Club America)
Club Deportivo Motagua (Motagua)
Club Deportivo Walter Ferretti (Ferretti)
Club Olimpia Deportivo (Club Olimpia)
Club Santos Laguna (Santos Laguna)
Club Social y Deportivo Municipal (Club Municipal)
Club Sport Herediano (Herediano)
Club Tigres de la Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon (Tigres)
Comunicaciones Futbol Club, S.A. (Comunicaciones F.C.)
D.C. United (D.C. United)
Deportivo Arabe Unido (Arabe Unido)
Deportivo Saprissa (Deportivo Saprissa)
DIRECTV W Connection F.C. (W Connection F.C.)
Gallos Blancos de Queretaro (Gallos Blancos de Queretaro)
LA Galaxy (LA Galaxy)
Montego Bay United Football Club (Montego Bay United)
Real Salt Lake (R.S.L.)
San Francisco F.C. (San Francisco)
Seattle Sounders F.C. (Sounders F.C.)
Vancouver Whitecaps F.C. (Vancouver Whitecaps)
Verdes Football Club (Verdes F.C.)