NYCFC will return to Red Bull Arena for home leg of CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal vs. Tigres

New York City FC’s part-time residency at the home of its biggest rival will continue for at least one more match.

On Friday, the club announced Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, as the site of NYCFC’s CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal home leg against Tigres UANL at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11.

The club returns to New Jersey for Champions League play for the second time this season. City defeated AD San Carlos, 1-0, at the home of the Red Bulls in the second leg of their Round of 16 matchup on Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals.

After the victory Wednesday, a club spokesperson said no home venue for the quarterfinal home match had been secured, but that Red Bull Arena remained a possibility. The club had long expected to host the quarterfinal home match at Yankee Stadium, but according to a news release, work to replace the entire playing surface ahead of the baseball and MLS seasons remains ongoing.

With City’s home opener scheduled for Saturday, March 14, a recent examination of the Yankee Stadium field led the club to decide it would not be suitable to host two matches in a four-day span.

“We understand and appreciate that many of our fans have been, and continue to be, disappointed that we have been forced to now play our first two matches in the SCCL outside of New York City,” club CEO Brad Sims said in a release. “I want to again make it clear to our fan base that, until we have our own permanent home in the five boroughs, our intention is to play all of our home matches, in all competitions, at suitable venues within New York City. Unfortunately, due to circumstances outside of our control, we find ourselves again in a situation with no available, CONCACAF approved venue inside NYC for the quarterfinal round.”

Wednsday’s match at Red Bull Arena drew an official attendance of 4,396. The match was boycotted by a collection of NYCFC supporters’ groups because of its location.

With Yankee Stadium unavailable for future rounds due to the baseball schedule, Red Bull Arena remains a potential site for the semifinals and finals should City advance, but that would take approval from CONCACAF, MLS and the Red Bulls.

Citi Field remains a site of interest for the club, but it has long known the home of the Mets would be unavailable for this round. The ballpark would be available for City on April 8, within the date range for the first leg of the semifinals, as well as April 28, which falls in the range for the first leg of the finals. The use of Citi Field, however, still hinges on CONCACAF’s approval of the venue. NYCFC already plans to host four home MLS matches at the Queens ballpark in 2020.

Tickets for the quarterfinal match will cost $10 for club members, who can purchase additional tickets for $20. Tickets for non-members have been set at $40.