Hamilton’s Forge FC to play El Salvador side in CONCACAF League play

CPL champion Forge FC has been drawn against El Salvador’s CD Municipal Limeno in the preliminary round of the 2020 Scotiabank CONCACAF League.

CPL champion Forge FC has been drawn against El Salvador’s CD Municipal Limeno in the preliminary round of the 2020 Scotiabank CONCACAF League.

The 22-team competition is a feeder tournament, sending the winner and next five best-ranked clubs to the 2021 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.

The CONCACAF League is scheduled to run Oct. 20 through Jan. 28. The tournament was originally slated to run from July to November but was postponed due to the global pandemic.

The draw was held Monday evening.

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Preliminary round and round of 16 matches will be played as single-game ties at the highest-ranked club’s stadium. All other rounds will be played as home and away ties.

Hamilton’s Forge will open on the road with the winner visiting Panama’s Tauro FC.

Forge, which defeated HFX Wanderers in the Island Games final on Saturday, has a chance to qualify directly to the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League by defeating Toronto FC in the Canadian Championship final.

Canada Soccer has not said what would happen to the Canadian CONCACAF League berth if Forge qualifies for the Champions League by the Canadian Championship route.

In 2019, Forge downed Guatemala’s Antigua GFC in the CONCACAF League preliminary round before losing Olimpia of Honduras in the round of 16.

CONCACAF League

Preliminary Round, Oct. 20-22 (home club listed first):

CD FAS (El Salvador) vs. Managua FC (Nicaragua)

LD Alajuelense (Costa Rica) vs. Cibao FC (Dominican Republic)

CD Municipal Limeno (El Salvador) vs. Forge FC (Canada)

CA Independiente (Panama) vs. Antigua GFC (Guatemala)

Arcahaie FC (Haiti) vs. Verdes FC (Belize)

FC Motagua (Honduras) vs. Comunicaciones FC (Guatemala)

Round of 16, Nov. 3-5

Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica) vs. CSD Municipal (Guatemala)

CD Marathon (Honduras) vs. CA Independiente (Panama) or Antigua GFC (Guatemala)

Tauro FC (Panama) vs. CD Municipal Limeno (El Salvador) or Forge FC (Canada)

Waterhouse FC (Jamaica) vs. Arcahaie FC (Haiti) or Verdes FC (Belize)

Alianza FC (El Salvador) vs. FC Motagua (Honduras) or Comunicaciones FC (Guatemala)

CD Olimpia (Honduras) vs. CD FAS (El Salvador) or Managua FC (Nicaragua)

San Francisco FC (Panama) vs. LD Alajuelense (Costa Rica) or Cibao FC (Dominican Republic)

CS Herediano (Costa Rica) vs. Real Esteli FC (Nicaragua)

Preliminary Round

October 20-22 (single-leg match)

Round of 16

November 3-5 (single-leg match)

Quarterfinals

December 1-3  (first leg)

December 8-10 (second leg)

Semifinals

January 5-7 (first leg)

January 12-14 (second leg)

Final

January 19-21 (first leg)

January 26-28 (second leg)

(Cover photo credit: @forgefc on Instagram)