Big clash with Cavalier F.C.

FC Cincinnati is heading to Jamaica for its first-ever CONCACAF Champions Cup journey.

FC Cincinnati’s first-ever trip abroad as part of a competitive tournament will see the team facing local club Cavalier F.C. of the Jamaica Premier League. Cincinnati was pitted against the Jamaican club during a televised draw yesterday.

FC Cincinnati will face Cavalier F.C., as part of a two-leg, home-and-away series, with the winner advancing to play the winner of the first-round match-up between Mexican heavyweight and five-time Champions Cup winner, Monterrey FC, and Guatemalan side, Comunicaciones FC.

Host stadium confirmation

The first leg of the series will be staged in Kingston, while TQL Stadium will host the second leg, FC Cincinnati confirmed in a Wednesday news release. Dates for the matches weren’t revealed but all first-round series are scheduled to be completed by February 29.

Stadium East Field in Kingston is listed as Cavalier F.C.’s home venue. CONCACAF, the governing federation for North and Central America and the Caribbean, yesterday conducted a random drawing to determine the matchups for the first round of the expanded, 27-club competition known until 2023 as the CONCACAF Champions League.

The 2024 Champions Cup includes Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer at its westernmost point and Suriname’s S.V. Robinhood at its easternmost point. Ten countries are represented in the competition. FC Cincinnati was one of 10 MLS clubs to qualify for the Champions Cup. 

Twenty-two teams, including Cincinnati, start play in the home-and-away first round. The other five clubs progressed automatically to the Round-of-16. All 27 teams involved in the 2024 Champions Cup qualified via regional tournaments, such as the Liga MX-MLS Leagues Cup, as well as domestic cups and competitions.