For the third time in the club’s history, the New York Red Bulls will take part in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League, and their SCCL campaign gets started this Wednesday at Red Bull Arena.
Here’s everything you need to know about New York’s first opponent of the 2016/17 competition.
WHO: Antigua GFC (Guatemala), founded in 1958
First SCCL appearance, sixth different team from Guatemala to earn a Champions League berth.
Currently in fifth place in the 2016 Guatemalan Apetura (2-2-0).
QUALIFICATION: 2015 Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala Apertura Champions (first domestic title in club history)
Antigua finished second in the regular-season standings with an 11-6-5 record, placing them directly into the semifinals of the Apertura playoff. There, they overcame six-time defending champion Comunicaciones, 4-3 on aggregate.
Antigua earned a 2-0 win over visiting Guastatoya in the second leg of the 2015 Guatemalan Apertura final on Dec. 22, 2015 at the Estadio Pensativo to capture the title, 3-2 on aggregate. Oscar Isaula (19’) and Edgar Chinchilla (74’) scored the goals that gave Los Panzas Verdes their first championship in its 57-year history and a place in the 2016/17 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Agustin Herrera (FW), Nelson Enrique Miranda (FW), Kendel Herrate (MF)
Herrera has five career SCCL goals (4 with Santos, 1 with Comunicaciones) and leads the team and the league with five goals in their 2016 Guatemalan Apetura campaign.
Meanwhile, forward Miranda has notched two career SCCL goals (1 with Heredia, 1 with Comunicaciones).
Herrate has appeared in four editions of the SCCL, all with Comunicaciones (10 games, 0 goals). He has also appeared in one match for Guatemalan National Team at the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
