CONCACAF names four MLS venues to host Olympic Qualifying Championship games

Rio Tinto Stadium

Qualifiers for the 2016 Olympics will be played this October, with four MLS stadiums hosting the all-important games.


CONCACAF announced Thursday afternoon the locations for the matches of the 2015 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship, which is set to run from Oct. 1-13. The four stadiums that will hold games are Sporting Kansas City's Sporting Park, the LA Galaxy's StubHub Center, the Colorado Rapids' Dick's Sporting Goods Park and Real Salt Lake's Rio Tinto Stadium.


The first three venues will serve as the sites for the group-stage matches while Rio Tinto Stadium will host both semifinals games on Oct. 10, and the third-place match and final on Oct. 13.



The tournament will see the Under-23 national teams of the US, Mexico, Canada and five other to-be-determined CONCACAF nations split into two groups of four. The US are seeded in Group A while reigning champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalists Mexico are in Group B.


The top two teams in each group will advance to the semifinals. The competition's two finalists will automatically qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, and the third-place finisher will take on Colombia in a playoff for an additional spot.


Three teams from Central America and two from the Caribbean will round out the eight-team tournament with qualifiers in those respective regions scheduled for August. The draw for the group stages of the Olympic quailifying tournament will take place later that month.


Here's the complete schedule for the 2015 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship:


Oct. 1: Group A Matchday 1 - Sporting Park
Oct. 2: Group B Matchday 1 - StubHub Center
Oct. 3: Group A Matchday 2 - Sporting Park
Oct. 4: Group B Matchday 2 - StubHub Center
Oct. 6: Group A Matchday 3 - Dick’s Sorting Goods Park
Oct. 7: Group B Matchday 3 - Dick’s Sorting Goods Park
Oct. 10: Semifinals - Rio Tinto Stadium
Oct. 13: 3rd place and Final - Rio Tinto Stadium