Starlight Stadium is becoming the Grand Central Station of the CONCACAF Champions League.
The Vancouver Whitecaps of Major League Soccer will play Mexican powerhouse Tigres UANL of Liga MX at the Langford facility on Feb. 7 due to a scheduling conflict with a home and garden show at sa国际传媒 Place.
That comes after Cavalry FC of the Canadian Premier League announcing last week it will open its CONCACAF Champions League campaign at Starlight Stadium on Feb. 21 against Orlando City of MLS due to expected wintery conditions at that time in Calgary.
The CONCACAF Champions League is this region’s equivalent of the UEFA Champions League. Ticketing information for both games at Starlight Stadium, normally home to Pacific FC of the CPL, will be announced early next year.
Cavalry FC is usually a visiting CPL nemesis of PFC. The Whitecaps, meanwhile, have twice played PFC at Starlight Stadium in the Canadian Championship tournament before capacity crowds, losing 4-3 to the Tridents in a stunning 2021 quarter-final upset and blanking the Tridents 3-0 this year in the semifinals en route to beating fellow MLS-club CF Montreal in the 2023 Canadian Championship final and earning the national berth into the 2024 CONCACAF Champions League.
“When CONCACAF first confirmed the expanded format and earlier competition dates for the Champions Cup, we learned there was a potential conflict based on another event at sa国际传媒 Place during the same window. Immediately, we explored all possibilities, as well as venue options across British Columbia,” said Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster, in a statement.
“Ultimately, Starlight Stadium was not only the sole CONCACAF approved and available stadium in our province in early February, but the City of Langford has also been extremely welcoming. We are excited for this unique opportunity to further connect with our many fans and supporters on Vancouver Island at a stadium we are familiar with.”
Tigres UANL, the 2020 CONCACAF Champions League winner, is currently ranked No. 3 among club teams in CONCACAF and beat Los Angeles FC this year to win its second Campeones Cup, which is the annual game between the defending champions of MLS and Liga MX.
The second leg of the Whitecaps-Tigres CONCACAF Champions League set goes Feb. 14 at Estadio Universitario in San Nicolás de los Garza, Mexico.
Hosting two CONCACAF Champions League games is an unexpected boon to Langford, considering PFC didn’t qualify for 2024.
“We are thrilled to welcome the CONCACAF Champions Cup tournament to Starlight Stadium,” said Langford Mayor Scott Goodmanson, in a statement.
“The opportunity to host such a significant match between Vancouver Whitecaps and Tigres builds on the momentum of previous international sports matches played in Langford over the past few years. The timing of the game leads up to Pacific FC’s season. Passionate soccer fans will be eager to get back to Starlight. The City of Langford and council remains committed to attracting a variety of professional sports matches, concerts, and other events to Langford for social, cultural, and economic benefits.”
The 2023 CPL regular-season (Cavalry FC) and playoff champions (Forge FC of Hamilton) earned berths into the 2024 CONCACAF Champions League. The second leg of the first round between Cavalry FC and Orlando City of MLS will be played Feb. 27 in Florida. Forge FC has been drawn in the first round against Guadalajara, nicknamed Chivas, of Liga MX.
PFC played in CONCACAF in 2022, making it to the second round, after winning the 2021 CPL championship. But the format was different then with a CONCACAF League leading to the CONCACAF Champions League. Now the CPL regular-season and playoff champions advance directly to the CONCACAF Champion League.
Note to readers: The dates of the MLS games between Cavalary FC and Orlando City have been changed since this article was first published. The article has been updated to reflect those changes.
