Whitecaps to play Red Bulls in CONCACAF Champions League quarters

Jordan-Harvey

Jordan Harvey, left, during his playing days in Vancouver. (Darryl Dyck/CP)

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Whitecaps will face Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls in the quarter-finals of the 2016-17 CONCACAF Champions League early next year.

The two-leg quarter-final will take place between Feb. 21 and March 2 ahead of the 2017 MLS regular season, with Vancouver hosting the second leg at BC Place between Feb. 28 and March 2. Exact dates and times will be announced in the near future.

The Whitecaps enter the knockout stage as the top seed after finishing group play with a 4-0-0 record and a plus-8 goal differential. New York, which posted a 2-0-2 record, advanced as the eighth seed.

This is the first time both clubs have reached the knockout stage of the Champions League. The Whitecaps hold the advantage over New York in MLS play, posting a 3-1-3 record in seven all-time meetings.

The Red Bulls enter the final weekend of the 2016 MLS regular season as the top team in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, Vancouver is ninth in the Western Conference and will miss the MLS playoffs.

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