Timbers at Alpha United
Kickoff: 5 p.m. today at Providence Stadium in Georgetown, Guyana.
TV: Fox Soccer Plus, DirectTV Ch. 621, 621-1; Dish Ch. 407; not available on Comcast.
Radio: None.
Webstream: FoxSoccer2go.com (free 7-day trial available).
CONCACAF Champions League: The CCL tournament is the region’s version of Europe’s popular UEFA Champions League. The CCL features 24 top club teams from leagues in the region that includes North America, Central America and the Caribbean. Mexican clubs have won all six tournaments under the current Champions League format.
How Portland qualified: This is the Timbers’ first time in the tournament. They qualified by finishing with the best regular-season record in the 2013 MLS Western Conference. This is the first international tournament in the Timbers history.
Format: The tournament starts with round-robin play within three-team groups. The winner from each group will advance to the quarterfinals, which will be played in the spring of 2015.
Group 5 standings: CD Olimpia (Honduras) won 1-0 at Alpha United on Aug. 5 to open play in the group.
Timbers CCL schedule: Today at Alpha United; CD Olimpia at Portland, 7 p.m. Sept. 16; Alpha United at Portland, 7 p.m., Sept. 23; Portland at CD Olimpia, 7 p.m., Oct. 21.
Other MLS participants: New York (2013 Supporters Shield), Sporting Kansas City (2013 MLS Cup champion), DC United (2013 U.S. Open Cup champion), Montreal (Canadian club champion).
Timbers: After playing in New England on Saturday, the Timbers took 18 players to Guyana and sent home 10 players who played significant minutes at New England to train for Sunday’s visit by the Seattle Sounders. This will be a test of Portland’s depth, especially at the attacking midfield position where players who have been in a reserve role will be called upon to drive the Timbers attack.
Alpha United: Known as The Hammer, Alpha United qualified for the CCL by winning its group of the Caribbean Football Union Club Championship tournament.
