Posted on June 22, 2012

NEW YORK — Two-time defending champion Monterrey (Mexico) will kick-off the 2012-2013 CONCACAF Champions League by hosting Chorrillo FC (Panama) on Tuesday, July 31, the confederation announced on Friday.

The opening day will conclude later that night, when CS Herediano welcomes 2010-11 runner-up Real Salt Lake (USA) to Costa Rica.

Isidro Metapan (El Salvador), the Puerto Rico Islanders and Olimpia (Honduras) are the only teams to qualify for all five editions of the Champions League.

Metapan and the Islanders will meet on Aug. 1 in a rematch of last year’s preliminary-round series, in which the Salvadoran club captured via the away goals rule after a 3-3 aggregate draw.

Olimpia, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, opens on Aug. 2 at home against CD FAS (El Salvador) in a Central American pairing.

Newly crowned Caribbean champion Caledonia AIA (Trinidad & Tobago) will complete the first week of play with a match at the Seattle Sounders (USA).

Week 2 will begin on Tuesday, Aug. 21 with an encounter between 2011-12 runner-up Santos Laguna (Mexico) and traveling CD Aguila (El Salvador), which is making its first Champions League appearance this year.

The group stage will feature six weeks of play and end on Thursday, Oct. 25.

Only the eight group winners will advance to the quarterfinals, which are scheduled to begin on March 5.

The eight groups:

Group 1: Santos Laguna (Mexico), Toronto FC (Canada), CD Aguila (El Salvador)

Group 2: CS Herediano (Costa Rica), Real Salt Lake (United States), Tauro FC (Panama)

Group 3: CD Olimpia (Honduras), Houston Dynamo (United States), CD FAS (El Salvador)

Group 4: Seattle Sounders (United States), CD Marathon (Honduras), Caledonia AIA (Trinidad)

Group 5: LA Galaxy (United States), Isidro Metapan (El Salvador), Puerto Rico Islanders (Puerto Rico)

Group 6: Tigres UNAL (Mexico), LD Alajuelense (Costa Rica), Real Esteli (Nicaragua)

Group 7: Chorrillo FC (Panama), Monterrey (Mexico), Municipal (Guatemala)

Group 8: Xelaju MC (Guatemala), CD Guadalajara (Mexico), W Connection (Trinidad)

The schedule

(all times Eastern; home team listed first)

Week 1

Tuesday, July 31

CF Monterrey (MEX) vs. Chorrillo FC (PAN), 8 p.m.

CS Herediano (CRC) vs. Real Salt Lake, 10 p.m.

Wednesday, August 1

Toronto FC (CAN) vs. CD Aguila (SLV), 8 p.m.

Isidro Metapan (SLV) vs. Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR), 10 p.m.

Tigres UANL (MEX) vs. Real Esteli (NCA), 10 p.m.

Thursday, August 2

W Connection (TRI) vs. Xelaju (GUA), 8 p.m.

CD Olimpia (HON) vs. CD FAS (SLV), 10 p.m.

Seattle Sounders (USA) vs. Caledonia AIA (TRI), 10 p.m.

Week 2

Tuesday, August 21

Santos Laguna (MEX) vs. CD Aguila (SLV), 8 p.m.

Real Salt Lake (USA) vs. Tauro FC (PAN), 10 p.m.

Xelaju MC (GUA) vs. CD Guadalajara (MEX), 10 p.m.

Wednesday, August 22

Caledonia AIA (TRI) vs. CD Marathon (HON), 8 p.m.

LD Alajuelense (CRC) vs. Tigres UANL (MEX), 10 p.m.

CD FAS (SLV) vs. Houston Dynamo (USA), 10 p.m.

Thursday, August 23

Chorrillo (PAN) vs. CSD Municipal (GUA), 8 p.m.

LA Galaxy (USA) vs. Isidro Metapan (SLV), 10 p.m.

Week 3

Tuesday, August 28

Toronto FC (CAN) vs. Santos Laguna (MEX), 8 p.m.

Real Esteli (NCA) vs. LD Alajuelense (CRC), 10 p.m.

Wednesday, August 29

CD Guadalajara (MEX) vs. W Connection (TRI), 8 p.m.

LA Galaxy (USA) vs. Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR), 10 p.m.

CSD Municipal (GUA) v Monterrey (MEX), 10 p.m.

Thursday, August 30

Tauro FC (PAN) vs. CS Herediano (CRC), 8 p.m.

Caledonia AIA (TRI) vs. Seattle Sounders (USA), 8 p.m.

CD Olimpia (HON) vs. Houston Dynamo (USA), 10 p.m.

Week 4

Tuesday, September 18

Tauro FC (PAN) vs. Real Salt Lake (USA), 8 p.m.

Xelaju MC (GUA) vs. W Connection (TRI), 10 p.m.

Real Esteli (NCA) vs. Tigres UANL (MEX), 10 p.m.

Wednesday, September 19

Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR) vs. LA Galaxy (USA), 8 p.m.

CD Aguila (SLV) vs. Santos Laguna (MEX), 10 p.m.

CD Marathon (HON) vs. Seattle Sounders (USA), 10 p.m.

Thursday, September 20

Houston Dynamo (USA) vs. CD FAS (SLV), 8 p.m.

CSD Municipal (GUA) vs. Chorrillo FC (PAN), 10 p.m.

Week 5

Tuesday, September 25

CF Monterrey (MEX) vs. CSD Municipal (GUA), 8 p.m.

CD Aguila (SLV) vs. Toronto FC (CAN), 10 p.m.

CS Herediano (CRC) vs. Tauro FC (PAN), 10 p.m.

Wednesday, September 26

W Connection (TRI) vs. CD Guadalajara (MEX), 8 p.m.

CD Marathon (HON) vs. Caledonia AIA (TRI), 10 p.m.

LD Alajuelense (CRC) vs. Real Esteli (NCA), 10 p.m.

Thursday, September 27

Puerto Rico Islanders (PUR) vs. Isidro Metapan (SLV), 8 p.m.

CD FAS (SLV) vs. CD Olimpia (HON), 10 p.m.

Week 6

Tuesday, October 23

Houston Dynamo (USA) vs. CD Olimpia (HON), 8 p.m.

Real Salt Lake (USA) vs. CS Herediano (CRC), 10 p.m.

Chorrillo FC (PAN) vs. CF Monterrey (MEX), 10 p.m.

Wednesday, October 24

Santos Laguna (MEX) vs. Toronto FC (CAN), 8 p.m.

Seattle Sounders (USA) vs. CD Marathon (HON), 10 p.m.

Tigres UANL (MEX) vs. LD Alajuelense (CRC), 10 p.m.

Thursday, October 25

CD Guadalajara (MEX) vs. Xelaju MC (GUA), 8 p.m.

Isidro Metapan (SLV) vs. LA Galaxy (USA), 10 p.m.

Photo: Humberto Suazo and Monterrey kick off the CONCACAF Champions League against Chorrillo FC on July 31. Andy Mead/YJC

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Categories: Canada, Caribbean, Central America, Champions League, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, North America, Panama, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, U.S.A.
Tags: Caledonia AIA, CD Aguila, CD Guadalajara, CD Marathon, CD Olimpia, CE Herediano, Chorrilo, CONCACAF Champions League, ED FAS, Houston Dynamo, Isidro Metapan, LA Galaxy, LD Alajuelense, Monterrey, Municipal, Puerto Rico Islanders, Real Esteli, Real Salt Lake, Santos Laguna, Seattle Sounders, Tauro FC, Tigres UNAL, Toronto FC, W Connection, Xelaju MC

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