A bunch of ping-pong balls will determine the Seattle Sounders’ path to the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League final. The draw takes place tonight in Miami at 4 PM Pacific Time and will air live on Univision Deportes (livestream above). President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey will be representing the Sounders at the event.
All 16 qualified teams have been placed in one of two pots, with the Sounders being placed in Pot 1 with four Mexican teams and three other MLS sides. The Colorado Rapids are the only MLS team in Pot 2, but tournament rules dictate the Sounders can’t be drawn against them. That leaves Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica); CS Herediano (Costa Rica); Cibao FC (Dominican Republic); FC Motagua (Honduras); Club Deportivo Olimpia (Honduras); Tauro FC (Panama); and Santa Tecla FC (El Salvador) as the possible Round of 16 opponents. The Sounders will open on the road (Feb. 20-22) and host the second leg (Feb. 27-March 1).
In addition to drawing their Round of 16 opponent, the Sounders’ place in the full bracket will also be determined. That will not only create a list of their potential opponents in each of the next three rounds, but it will also determine which leg they host in the quarterfinals. The winners of matchup Nos. 1, 3, 5 and 7, will host the return leg of the quarterfinals and will face the winner of matchup 2, 4, 6 and 8, respectively.
In the semifinals and finals, though, the second leg will be hosted by whichever team performs better based on the tournament’s tiebreaker rules (total points, goal-difference, away-goals in regulation, etc.).
Match-day windows
Round of 16: Feb. 20-22 and Feb. 27- March 1, 2018
Quarterfinals: March 6-8 and March 13-15, 2018
Semifinals: April 3-5 and April 10-12, 2018
Finals: April 17-19 and April 24-26, 2018