Tickets on sale today for Toronto FC’s first CONCACAF group stage match

For the first time in the club’s history, Toronto FC will participate in the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League after defeating CD Motagua of Honduras 3-2 on aggregate on Tuesday night in Tegucigalpa. The team took a 1-0 winning result into Honduras after the first leg on July 27 at BMO Field. Captain Dwayne De Rosario and Chad Barrett scored in the 2-2 final in Tegucigalpa. Barrett also notched the game’s only goal at BMO Field.

The next stage of the competition will get underway with Toronto playing in Group A, as they host Mexican powerhouse Cruz Azul on Tuesday, August 17 in an 8 p.m. ET start. Cruz Azul is one of the biggest and most successful clubs in all of Mexico and has won the Primera Division Championship eight times. They were also the first Mexican club to reach the Copa Libertadores final in 2001 – finishing as runners-up to Boca Juniors of Argentina. The five-time winners of the CONCACAF Champions Cup (expanded and renamed CONCACAF Champions League in 2008) will be making their third appearance in this competition having made it to the CONCACAF Champions League Final in each of its last two tries (2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons), making them the region’s most decorated club.

Ticket sales for the first match against Cruz Azul will go sale to the general public Friday, August 6 at 2 p.m. All sales will be done through the team’s website www.torontofc.ca. The remaining schedule for the Group Stage will be announced today and will be available on the team’s website.

The FAN 590 will be the radio broadcaster for the match on August 17th with the voice of Toronto FC, with Dan Dunleavy providing the play-by-play. Television broadcast for the CONCACAF Group Stage has yet to be determined.

Toronto FC will host Chivas USA this Saturday, August 7 in a 4 pm ET kick-off at BMO Field. This will be head coach Preki’s first time facing his former club. The game will be broadcast on CBC, and heard on The FAN 590.