MIAMI – Concacaf Monday announced a new format and schedule to resume this year’s edition of the Concacaf Champions League.

The 2020 CCL was postponed at the quarterfinal stage in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Concacaf has developed extensive new CCL regulations to ensure the delivery of a safe and highly controlled environment for all the players, coaches, team staff and officials that will participate. These include a high-frequency COVID-19 testing regime before and during the competition and robust health and safety protocols that will be strictly applied.

Through the introduction of a simplified format with single leg ties in a neutral venue, the new 2020 CCL format includes a total of seven games to crown a regional club champion.

The winner of this competition will be crowned Concacaf’s regional club champion.

New York City FC, which lost the first leg of its quartefinal series to Tigres UANL, will play the second leg at a neutral venue.

Concacaf has made the decision that these centralized final rounds of the 2020 CCL will be played behind closed doors. Discussions are underway with the confederation’s broadcast partners to ensure all matches are widely available for fans.

Centralized quarterfinals and single-leg semifinals and final

Concacaf will host the quarterfinals, single-leg semifinals and final in a centralized location in the United States from Dec. 15-22. The venue and kickoff times will be confirmed in the coming weeks, with the match dates as follows (first leg score in brackets for relevant matchups):

Quarterfinals (to be played Dec. 15 and 16)

CD Olimpia (2) vs. (1) Montreal Impact
Atlanta United FC (0) vs. (3) Club America
Tigres UANL (1) vs. (0) NYCFC
LAFC vs. Cruz Azul

Three quarterfinal matchups already have been played the first leg of their ties prior to the competition’s postponement. For the purposes of these second leg matches, the games will be considered “home” matches for the three teams that played their first leg away (CD Olimpia, Atlanta United FC and Tigres UANL).

At the end of these second leg games, should the aggregate score be level, the away goals rule will apply. Should the score be level on aggregate and away goals, matches will go straight to penalty kicks.

The quarterfinal between LAFC and Cruz Azul did not play a first leg prior to the postponement of the competition, meaning this tie will be settled by a single match. Should the score be level at the end of the game, it will go straight to penalty kicks.

The draw for the 2020 SCCL determined each team’s possible route to the Final, and means the semifinal matchups will be as follows:

Semifinals: (Dec. 19)

Semifinal 1: Club America or Atlanta United FC vs LAFC or Cruz Azul

Semifinal 2: Tigres UANL or NYCFC vs CD Olimpia or Impact Montreal

Both semifinal matches will be single-leg games with matches going straight to penalty kicks in the event of a draw.

The two semifinal winners will face-off in a single leg final. Should the score be level at the end of the match, the final will include extratime and, if required, penalty kicks.

Final (Dec. 22)

Final: Winner Semifinal 1 vs Winner Semifinal 2

The confederation will confirm venue details in the USA for these centralized quarterfinals, semifinals and final in the coming weeks.

“At Concacaf our focus in recent months has been to continue supporting our Member Associations and the wider football family during this challenging time, and on working hard to ensure we can resume our suspended competitions,” Concacaf president Victor Montagliani said in a statement.

“It has been extremely pleasing to see so many leagues across the region get back to playing football again and the time is right for our flagship club tournament, the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League, to return with the necessary protocols in place to ensure it is safe for everyone involved.”

 

2020 CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SCHEDULE AND RESULTS

First Leg Round of 16

Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Portmore United FC (1) vs. (2) Cruz Azul FC
FC Motagua (1) vs. (1) Atlanta United FC
Club Leon (2) vs. (0) LAFC

Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Deportivo Saprissa (2) vs. (2) Montreal Impact
Alianza FC (2) vs. (1) Tigres UANL
Comunicaciones FC (1) vs. (1) Club America

Thursday, February 20, 2020
AD San Carlos (3) vs. (5) NYCFC
CD Olimpia (2) vs. (2) Seattle Sounders FC

Second Leg Round of 16

Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Atlanta United FC (3) vs. (0) FC Motagua
Cruz Azul FC (4) vs. (0) Portmore United FC

Wednesday, February 26, 2020
NYCFC  (1) vs. (0) AD San Carlos
Montreal Impact (0) vs. (0) Deportivo Saprissa
Tigres UANL (4) vs. (2) Alianza FC
Club America (1) vs. (1) Comunicaciones FC (5-3 p)

Thursday, February 27, 2020
Seattle Sounders FC (2) vs. (2) CD Olimpia (2-4 p)
LAFC (3) vs. (0) Club Leon

First Leg Quarterfinals

Tuesday, March 10, 2020 
Montreal Impact (1) vs. (2) CD Olimpia

Wednesday, March 11, 2020 
NYCFC (0) vs. (1) Tigres UANL
Club América (3) vs. (0) Atlanta United FC

Second Leg Quarterfinals

December 15 and 16, 2020
CD Olimpia vs. Impact Montreal
Atlanta United FC vs. Club America
Tigres UANL vs. NYCFC
LAFC vs. Cruz Azul (single leg match)

Semifinals

Saturday, December 19, 2020
Club America or Atlanta United FC vs. LAFC or Cruz Azul
Tigres UANL or NYCFC vs. CD Olimpia or Impact Montreal

Final

Tuesday, December 22, 2020
Winner Semifinal 1 vs. Winner Semifinal 2

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.