Montreal’s Olympic Stadium to host first leg of Champions League quarterfinals

The Impact made the announcement Thursday, shifting the February 25 match from its regular home at the cozy but sometimes chilly confines of the 13,000-seat Saputo Stadium to the nearby venue built for the 1976 Summer Games.

“We are thrilled with the positive outcome, since Olympic Stadium was the only viable option for this game to be played in Montreal,” club Executive Vice President Richard Legendre said.

Montreal was unbeaten in four games at Saputo Stadium in the Preliminary Round and Group Stage. This will be the first time CONCACAF has staged a match at Olympic Stadium, although FIFA last used the venue in 2007 for the Under-20 World Cup, hosting matches in the first and rounds as well as the quarterfinals.

Playing under the closed dome of Olympic Stadium will negate the weather as a factor. Temperatures in February in Montreal average 9 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-13 Celsius) to 27 degrees (minus-3 Celsius).

The second leg of the quarterfinal is set for Estadio Corona in Torreon, Mexico, on March 5.

The first leg of the other quarterfinals are set for Houston on February 24, with the Dynamo hosting Atlante; Mexico City on February 25 between cross-town rivals Cruz Azul and Pumas; and Bayamon, Puerto Rico with the Puerto Rico Islanders hosting CD Marathon.