Portland Timbers' CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage Games Finalized

The Portland Timbers will play one game in August, two in September, and one in October as they try to get out off their three-team group in the CONCACAF Champions League. Their first match of the series, coming on August 19th at the home of Alpha United in Guyana, will be the furthest piece of travel in the CCL at over four and a half thousand miles.

That first match falls between two league matches in just over a week, with the Timbers player against the New England Revolution on 8/16 and at home against the Seattle Sounders on 8/24.

The Timbers' second and third CCL matches, however, will make for a very packed schedule for two weeks in September as the Timbers will play away against the Colorado Rapids on 9/13, host Honduran side CD Olimpia in CCL play on 9/16, host their MLS rivals the Vancouver Whitecaps on 9/20, host Alpha United on 9/23, and cap off the busy period by flying across the country to take on Toronto FC on 9/27.

Finally, the Timbers last group game, and quite possibly the decisive game of the group, will be on 10/21 in Honduras as they take on Olimpia. Again the game will come in the middle of the week and will be bracketed by an MLS game on either weekend with the Timbers hosting Real Salt Lake on the 17th and then going away to FC Dallas for the final match of the season on 10/25.

The Timbers' press release:

TIMBERS BEGIN 2014-15 CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP-PHASE SCHEDULE ON THE ROAD AUG. 19
Portland plays host to group matches on Sept. 16 and Sept. 23 at Providence Park

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers will begin play in Group 5 of the 2014-15 CONCACAF Champions League tournament on the road against Guyanese side Alpha United FC on Tuesday, Aug. 19, it was announced today as CONCACAF unveiled the competition’s full group-stage schedule.

Following a tournament-opening road match, Portland will play host to home games against Honduran side Club Deportivo Olimpia onTuesday, Sept. 16, and Alpha United FC on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at Providence Park. Both matches are scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m.(Pacific).

The match against CD Olimpia is included as Exhibition C for Timbers season-ticket holders.

Tickets for Portland’s home match against CD Olimpia on Sept. 16 will go on sale to the public on Wednesday, July 9, online atwww.timbers.com and at the Providence Park box office. A special presale for Timbers season-ticket holders, members of the season-ticket waitlist and Thorns FC season-ticket holders will take place July 7-8. In addition, ticket information for the Sept. 23 match against Alpha United FC will be announced at a later date.

Portland concludes play in Group 5 with a trip to face CD Olimpia on Tuesday, Oct. 21.

The 2014-15 edition of the competition marks Portland’s first-ever berth in the CONCACAF Champions League tournament. Portland qualified for the tournament by virtue of finishing with the best overall record from the conference opposite the MLS Supporters’ Shield winner in 2013. Along with Portland, defending MLS Cup-champion Sporting Kansas City, 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup-champion D.C. United and 2013 MLS Supporters’ Shield-winner New York Red Bulls represent the four U.S.-based MLS clubs in the competition. A fifth MLS club, the Montreal Impact, gained entry as the winner of the 2014 Canadian Championship.

The Timbers will play both CD Olimpia and Alpha United FC at home and away in a round-robin format and the top club from each of the eight three-team groups advances to the knockout round. The quarterfinal, semifinal and final rounds are slated for early next year.

Founded in 1962 as the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the CONCACAF Champions League tournament adopted its current format in 2008 and crowns the continental club champion among a field of 24 teams representing CONCACAF member associations. The 2014-15 CONCACAF Champions League tournament marks the 50th overall edition of the annual international club competition with the winner earning a berth in the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup.

2014-15 CONCACAF Champions League Group 5 Schedule

Date	Opponent	Kickoff (Pacific)
Tuesday, Aug. 19	at Alpha United FC	5 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 16	CD OLIMPIA	7 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 23	ALPHA UNITED FC	7 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 21	at CD Olimpia	7 p.m.