Colorado to host winner of preliminary round matchup, will visit Real España of Honduras on August 23COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (Thursday, July 28, 2011) – The Colorado Rapids will host its first CONCACAF Champions League match on Wednesday, August 17 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, taking on either Isidro Metapan of El Salvador or the Puerto Rico Islanders in the competitions Group Stage. CONCACAF announced on Thursday the first two matches of the Group Stage, with the Rapids traveling to face Real España of Honduras on Tuesday, August 23.
The Preliminary Stage of the CONCACAF Champions League is currently underway, and the Rapids are waiting to learn its opponent for the team’s first match in the competition, which features the top club teams from across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean . Isidro Metapán took a 2-0 win over the Puerto Rico Islanders in the first match of a home-and-home series on Wednesday night, with total goals determining the winner. The second leg will be played on August 3.
The Rapids have been drawn into Group B of the CONCACAF Champions League, alongside Real España of Honduras, as well as the winners of the Metapán/Puerto Rico and Santos Laguna ( Mexico )/CD Olimpia ( Honduras ) matchups. For more information on the tournament, please visit www.coloradorapids.com/championsleague.
COLORADO RAPIDS SCHEDULE FOR 2011-2012 CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
August 17 Rapids vs. Isidro Metapán (SLV) / Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR)
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO
8:00 p.m. MT
August 23 Rapids @ Real España (HON)
Estadio Francisco Morazán, San Pedro Sula , Honduras
6:00 p.m. MT
September 13-15 Opponent, Location, Date / Time TBD
September 20-22 Opponent, Location, Date / Time TBD
September 27-29 Opponent, Location, Date / Time TBD
October 18-20 Opponent, Location, Date / Time TBD
Tickets to the Rapids CONCACAF Champions League match on August 17 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park will be on sale August 5 starting as low as $17. Special deals for all three Group Stage games, as well as a limited edition “Champions” shirt, will also be available. For more information, please call 303-825-GOAL or visit www.ColoradoRapids.com.
The CONCACAF Champions League is an annual 24-team tournament that identifies the best club team from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, and the winner earns a berth in the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup, a tournament featuring the winners of the other respective continental championships, including the European Champions League and South America ’s Copa Libertadores. More information on the tournament can be found at the following site: www.coloradorapids.com/championsleague.
