Concacaf today confirmed the match dates for the 2021 edition of its flagship club competition, the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League (SCCL).
Following the conclusion of the 2020 SCCL in December, which saw Tigres UANL crowned champions after defeating Los Angeles FC in the final, Concacaf has been working with stakeholders to create a calendar for the return of this competition.
The tournament, which usually starts in mid-February each year, will now start in April due to scheduling and travel challenges associated with the pandemic.
The competition will formally begin with the draw on Feb. 10, when each club will learn its Round of 16 opponent and route to the final. The draw event will be held in Miami, Florida and will include the participation of club Head Coaches and football legends from the Concacaf region.
The 2021 SCCL matchups will commence with the Round of 16 played between April 6-8 (first leg) and April 13-15 (second leg). The Round of 16 will be followed by home and away quarterfinal matches in late-April and early-May, semifinals in August and, in an exciting development to this year’s edition of the competition, a single leg SCCL final which will be played in October.
The host for the single leg final will be the highest performing club in the earlier rounds of the 2021 SCCL, based on wins, draws and, if required, goal difference. The calendar for the draw and the competition dates is as follows:
2021 SCCL Match Dates
Draw: Feb. 10
Round of 16: April 6-8 (first leg) and April 13-15 (second leg)
Quarterfinals: April 27-29 (first leg) and May 4-6 (second leg)
Semifinals: Aug. 10-12 (first leg) and Aug. 24-26 (second leg)
Final: Oct. 26-28 (single leg)
Clubs from across the region qualified for the 2021 SCCL through domestic leagues and cup competitions and the Scotiabank Concacaf League, which qualifies six clubs to the SCCL.
“Despite significant challenges last year, the 2020 edition of the SCCL was a major highlight for Concacaf and for club football in the region. It included great matchups which fans enjoyed in record numbers both in attendance in the early rounds and on TV throughout the tournament”, said Concacaf President and FIFA Vice President, Victor Montagliani.
“We want to build on that in 2021, the 60th anniversary year for our Confederation, with another great competition to crown a regional club champion who will also qualify for the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup. I want to thank the participating clubs and their leagues for their support in delivering this new SCCL calendar for this year and I look forward to a great draw on February 10th”, added Montagliani.
The full list of competing clubs in the 2021 SCCL is as follows:
Canada: Forge FC or Toronto FC
Costa Rica: Deportivo Saprissa and LD Alajuelense
Dominican Republic: Club Atletico Pantoja
Haiti: Arcahaie FC
Honduras: CD Marathon and CD Olimpia
Mexico: Club América, Club León, Cruz Azul and CF Monterrey
Nicaragua: Real Estelí FC
USA: Atlanta United FC, Columbus Crew SC, Philadelphia Union and Portland Timbers
The winner of the Canadian Championship (date TBD) between Forge FC and Toronto FC will compete in the 2021 SCCL.
