VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC are set to face Honduran side Real CD España in the 2023 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Round of 16. The official draw for the tournament was held on Monday night in Miami, Florida.
The ‘Caps, who secured their Champions League qualification after defeating Toronto FC last July in front of a record Canadian Championship crowd in Vancouver, will play Real CD España in a two leg aggregate series, with the first leg set to take place between March 7-9 and the second leg between March 14-16. Additional match details will be confirmed at a later date.
The winner will move on to face either MLS Cup champions Los Angeles FC or Costa Rican side LD Alajuelense in the quarterfinals.
Concacaf Champions League Schedule Windows
Round of 16: March 7-9 (first legs) and March 14-16 (second legs)
Quarterfinals: April 4-6 (first legs) and April 11-13 (second legs)
Semifinals: April 25-27 (first legs) and May 2-4 (second legs)
Finals: May 31 (first leg) and June 4 (second leg)
This will mark the third time in club history that Vancouver plays in the Champions League, having first qualified for the 2015-16 edition and making a run to the semifinals in the following 2016-17 tournament.
REAL CD ESPAÑA
Founded in 1929, Real CD España plays in the Honduran Liga Nacional and are taking part in their fourth Concacaf Champions League campaign.
España's last time competing in the Champions League came in 2014/15, when they finished third in their group behind Mexican side Pachuca CF and Guatemalan side CSD Municipal.
The team, who qualified for the tournament after reaching the semifinals of the 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf League, plays their matches at Estadio General Francisco Morazán in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
The Concacaf Champions League is a 16-team, knockout competition to crown the best club in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, similar to the UEFA Champions League in Europe or the Copa Libertadores in South America.
The winner of the tournament qualifies for the annual FIFA Club World Cup, where they’ll face the top teams from Asia, Africa, South America, Oceania and Europe.
