Austin FC to play Haitian side Violette AC in 2023 CONCACAF Champions League first round

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin FC will open the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League against Violette AC in March, tournament officials announced after the draw Monday.

Violette AC, from Haiti, is the lone team representing the Caribbean in the tournament by winning the Caribbean Club Championship in May. They will host the first leg of the first-round matchup between March 7-9, and the second leg will be at Q2 Stadium between March 14-16. The winner will be determined by the combined score from both legs and advance to the quarterfinals. Every round in the tournament is a two-leg format.

The tournament uses the away goals tiebreaker first, but if both teams have the same number of those, the second leg will go into extra time and a penalty kick shootout if necessary.

Austin FC qualified for the tournament by being the highest-finishing US team in the MLS Supporters Shield standings that hadn't already qualified. LAFC and Philadelphia finished tied atop the standings with 67 points and Austin finished fourth with 56 points. Orlando City SC is the fourth US team in the tournament, qualifying by winning the 2022 US Open Cup.

The tournament runs concurrently with the MLS regular season, and the final will be held between May 30-June 4.

The exact dates for the first round and subsequent rounds will be determined later.