VANCOUVER, BC – It took Vancouver Whitecaps FC eight years to qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League – and now they've done so in back-to-back years.
The ‘Caps booked their ticket to next year’s tournament with a 2-0 win over Montreal Impact in Wednesday’s Amway Canadian Championship Final (4-2 on aggregate), which secures their position as the top team in Canada for the second year running.
Whitecaps FC are the first team to qualify for the 2016-17 edition of the tournament. A total of 24 of the top teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean will make up the field, including five clubs from Major League Soccer.
The 'Caps will be joined by the 2015 U.S. Open Cup champions (Sporting KC or Philadelphia Union), the 2015 MLS Cup champions, the 2015 Western Conference regular season champions, and the 2015 Eastern Conference regular season champions.
Should Whitecaps FC win the MLS Cup or finish atop the Western Conference in the regular season, the runner-up will then qualify as well.
The 2016-17 CCL is expected to begin in August 2016. The CCL winner will advance to the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup, where they will compete against the champions from Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceana, and South America.
Meanwhile, Whitecaps FC continue their current CCL campaign on September 16 vs. Honduran side C.D. Olimpia (7 p.m. PT at BC Place – tickets still available).
Here’s a look at the current Group F standings:
<strong>TEAM</strong> |
<strong>PTS</strong> |
<strong>GP</strong> |
<strong>W</strong> |
<strong>L</strong> |
<strong>D</strong> |
<p>Seattle Sounders FC</p> |
<p align="center">4</p> |
<p align="center">3</p> |
<p align="center">1</p> |
<p align="center">1</p> |
<p align="center">1</p> |
<p>CD Olimpia</p> |
<p align="center">3</p> |
<p align="center">2</p> |
<p align="center">1</p> |
<p align="center">1</p> |
<p align="center">0</p> |
<p>Vancouver Whitecaps FC</p> |
<p align="center">1</p> |
<p align="center">1</p> |
<p align="center">0</p> |
<p align="center">0</p> |
<p align="center">1</p> |
Featuring 24 squads from each of CONCACAF's three sub-regions – North America, Central America and the Caribbean – the CCL is played in two stages: the Group Stage and Championship Stage. Berths are allocated by country or, in the case of the Caribbean, through a separate qualifying competition.
Be a part of the best sporting atmosphere in Vancouver! Whitecaps FC Season Tickets are now on sale. In addition to Season Tickets, Whitecaps FC offer a flexible range of ticket products, including Half-Season Packs, 5-Packs, a Youth Soccer Half-Season Ticket, and single match tickets. For more information, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
