BELIZE CITY, Sun. Aug. 7, 2022
A Concacaf release on Friday, August 5, provides the home-and-away schedule for the Round of 16 in the 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf League (SCL).
Belize’s national champs, Verdes FC survived their
Preliminary Round series against Platense FC of El Salvador in recording two draws, 0-0 at home at the FFB Stadium and 2-2 at the Estadio Cuscatlan in San Salvador, by virtue of the away- goal rule.
Though fielding a majority of foreign based players to start each match, Verdes FC has made a major step for Belize after a couple decades of
disappointment, being the first Belize club in the new millennium to play successfully through a round of Concacaf competition. Coke Milpros FC did it with an all-Belizean lineup in 1989; and Juventus FC had one, maybe two foreigners when they advanced in the latter 1990s (1997?).
The caliber of opponent gets higher as the competition progresses. As the Concacaf release explains, “Six Preliminary Round winners have advanced to the second round, joining the 10 best ranked seeded clubs.” And, “The eight matchups, between the six Preliminary Round winners and 10 clubs
seeded into the second round, will take place August 16-18 (first legs) and August 23-25 (second legs).”
In the upcoming Round of 16, Verdes FC will again host the first leg, this time against El Salvador’s national champions, Alianza FC, and that match will be at the FFB Stadium on Wednesday, August 17, kickoff time 8:00 p.m.