New York Red Bulls vs. Antigua GFC
RED BULL ARENA, Harrison, N.J.
August 3, 2016 | CONCACAF Champions League
8 p.m. ET (Univision Deportes (Tape Delay), Red Bulls Radio)
HARRISON, N.J. (August 2, 2016) - The New York Red Bulls open up their 2016-17 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League campaign against Guatemalan side Antigua GFC at Red Bull Arena on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. (TV: Univision Deportes (Tape Delay), Radio: Red Bulls Radio in English on TuneIn). This will mark the first of four games in group play of the competition, with the other team in Group F being Alianza of El Salvador.
This will be the Red Bulls' third appearance in the continental competition. New York last appeared in the Champions League in the 2014-15 competition. The other appearance was in 2009, when they lost to W Connection of Trinidad and Tobago in the preliminary round. Antigua GFC will be making their debut in the competition after winning the club's first ever league title in the 2015 Guatemalan Liga Nacional season.
The Red Bulls enter at 9-9-5 in MLS action, and 10-10-5 across all competitions with a win and loss in the U.S. Open Cup. New York is unbeaten in five straight games coming off of a 2-2 draw at the Chicago Fire on Sunday night.
Despite being just two years removed from the competition, only five players on the current roster have represented the club in Champions League action. Only one, Connor Lade, has scored a goal in the CCL. In the 2014-15 campaign, Ryan Meara started all four games in goal, allowing just two goals and recording two shutouts.
Antigua, who currently are in fifth place in the Liga Nacional after four matches with two wins and two losses, will be the sixth team from Guatemala to earn a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League. Forward Agustin Herrera, who was the team's second-highest goal scorer last season, has five career goals in the competition. The Red Bulls have also never had a player from Guatemala on their roster.
Following the Red Bulls match against the Panzas Verdes, their next match in the Champions League will be in El Salvador at Alianza on August 23. They will then return home to face Alianza on September 15 and finish off group play at Antigua on September 27.
In MLS action, the Red Bulls travel to Los Angeles to face the Galaxy this Sunday at 9:30 p.m. (TV: FS1, FOX Deportes, Radio: Red Bulls Radio in English/Spanish on TuneIn).
New York is next home to host the Montreal Impact on August 13 at 7 p.m.
