The New York Red Bulls’ preparations for CONCACAF Champions League received an unexpected boost with the news that the team’s opening-round opponent, CD Olimpia, might not be able to play its home game of the two-match series at home.
Olimpia is already shouldering the burden of a six-game penalty imposed on the club by CONCACAF for “serious infractions to the tournament safety protocol” (i.e. crowd trouble) during the second leg of its 2017 CONCACAF League (effectively the second division of CONCACAF international club tournments) quarterfinal back in August.
Per Diez, CONCACAF decreed Olimpia would have to play its next six home games in international club competition behind closed doors, and in a stadium of CONCACAF’s choosing.