WASHINGTON, D.C. - D.C. United announced today the club has accepted an invitation to compete in the 2005 Copa Sudamericana, a 34-team tournament featuring some of South America's most prestigious clubs. United, the defending Major League Soccer champion, will enter the tournament in the Round-of-16 scheduled to start in mid-September and will face either a club from Peru or Chile in home-and-away fixtures. United is tentatively scheduled to host the first leg on Thursday, September 15 at RFK Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. The return leg will be played a week later, on September 22 in either Peru or Chile.
"We are honored to take part in this prestigious tournament," said United President & CEO, Kevin Payne. "We are looking forward to the challenge of taking on some of the best teams in the hemisphere."
The 2005 Copa Sudamericana will feature clubs from 11 different nations, including for the first time, representatives from CONCACAF countries Mexico (Pumas UNAM and Club America) and the United States (United). According to organizers, this year's edition of the Copa Sudamericana will disperse over $5 million in prize money with the winner of the competition taking home $795,000, while the runner-up will receive $695,000.
United's opponent is dependent upon the results in the early rounds of the tournament. Chilean clubs Universidad Católica and Universidad de Chile will meet in one section of the first round (August 10 & 24), while Peruvian clubs Universitario and Alianza Atlético will face off in the other (August 10 & 24). The winner of each first round series will then face off in the second round (August 31 & September 7) for the right to face United in the round-of-16.
The Sept. 15 match is included in all D.C. United Full Season ticket plans as Special Event "B", as well as Half Season Plan B packages. Flex Plan ticket vouchers will also be accepted for this match. Individual tickets - ranging in price from $18-$40 - will go on sale July 18 through TicketMaster outlets or by logging on to www.dcunited.com. Special group pricing is available by calling D.C. United at 202-587-5000.
After winning the 2005 Mexican League Torneo de Clausura, Club América will face the winner of the Copa Sudamericana First Round Series 2 that features clubs from Colombia and Venezuela.
Meanwhile, Pumas UNAM, who finished second in the 2005 CONCACAF Champions' Cup to automatically qualify for the tournament, are scheduled to face the victor from the Series 3 which has squads from Bolivia and Ecuador.
Since 1997, D.C. United has traveled across the globe and battled 25 clubs from 13 countries. The list of clubs is impressive, including Germany's Bayer Leverkusen, Mexico's Club America, CD Toluca, and UNAM Pumas, Vasco da Gama of Brazil, and Argentina's Boca Juniors, among others. D.C. United has also played five friendlies against teams from England and has yet to lose: 1-1 vs. Leeds United (May 16, 1997); 3-1 vs Newcastle United (July 22, 2000); 1-0 at Tottenham Hotspur (October 17, 2002); 1-0 vs. Tottenham Hotspur (May 14, 2003); and 1-1 vs. Blackburn Rovers (July 23, 2003 - D.C. won on penalty kicks).
In only its third year of play, D.C. pulled off what is arguably the greatest triumph ever for American club soccer in international competition. D.C. won the 1998 CONCACAF Champions' Cup over CD Toluca as the best club in the region and went on to defeat South American Champion Vasco de Gama of Brazil to win the Intercontinental Cup.
