Toronto FC opens CONCACAF play on Feb. 20, then hosts Colorado on Feb. 27

Toronto FC will host the Colorado Rapids on Feb. 27 at BMO Field in the return leg of their round-of-16 series in the CONCACAF Champions League.

The first leg is scheduled for Feb. 20 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo.

The draw for the CONCACAF club competition was held Monday but exact time of the games wasn’t announced until Friday.

Kickoff for both Tuesday night games is 8 p.m. local time. It could be a chilly night at both stadiums.

The average high temperatures for Feb. 27 in Toronto is 1.3 Celsius while the average low is -4.8, according to Environment Canada. The average for precipitation is 41 per cent.

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The record high for that day was 13 C in 2000 with the record low of -26.7 (1846).

The average high for Commerce City on Feb. 20 is 8 C with the low of -6. The record low for the day was -18 (1955) and the record high 24 C (1935). 

Should Toronto advance, it will play either Mexico’s Tigres UANL or Costa Rica’s Deportivo Saprissa in the quarterfinals. They play their round-of-16 matches the same days as Toronto.

TFC opens the MLS season at home to Columbus Crew SC on March 3. 

The CONCACAF Champions League winner will represent North and Central America and the Caribbean in the FIFA Club World Cup.

Mexican teams have dominated the competition over the years and have won every edition of the tournament since it went to the Champions League format in 2008 from a knockout event.

Toronto, which qualified by winning the 2016 and 2017 Canadian Championship, will be participating in the competition for the first time since the 2012-13 season.

Colorado got its berth because FC Dallas won the 2016 U.S. Open champion and Supporters’ Shield, which both serve as tickets into the CONCACAF competition. The Rapids drew in as second-place finishers in the Supporter’ Shield race.

Colorado went 15-6-13 in 2016 but dropped to 9-19-6 last season.

Toronto drew visiting Colorado 1-1 in their only meeting in 2017.

The CONCACAF tournament changed format and schedule after the 2016-17 edition, which ran from August 2016 to April 2017

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press