A Champions League soccer match will be coming to Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan., in September.
CONCACAF has announced the dates and times for the 2014-15 CONCACAF Champions League group stage. Sporting Kansas City is paired with Nicaraguan club Real Esteli and Costa Rican club Deportivo Saprissa in Group 2.
For the second consecutive year, Sporting Kansas City will open the tournament on the road, playing Real Esteli at 9 p.m. CT Tuesday, Aug. 19.
Sporting KC defeated Real Esteli 2-0 in their CCL opener in August 2013 and drew Esteli a month later 1-1 at Sporting Park.
Following Sporting KC’s road opener against Real Esteli, the defending MLS Cup champions will return home for back-to-back matches at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan.
Sporting Kansas City will play host to Saprissa on Thursday, Sept. 18, and Esteli on Tuesday, Sept. 23. Both matches will kick off at 7 p.m.
Tickets for both group stage home matches are included in season ticket member packages. Tickets will go on sale to the public at a later date.
Sporting Kansas City will conclude the group stage of the tournament on Thursday, Oct. 23, against Saprissa at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Ayma. Saprissa won the 2014 Clausura in Costa Rica and are three-time CONCACAF Champions’ Cup winners.
The team with the most points at the conclusion of the CCL group stage will advance to the quarterfinal round. Sporting Kansas City advanced to the quarterfinals of last year’s tournament, finishing first in a group that included Real Esteli and Honduran club CD Olimpia. Sporting KC faced Mexican club Cruz Azul in the quarterfinals in March and lost 5-2 on aggregate.
– Story from Sporting KC