Defence Force FC are back on the continental stage, as they welcome MLS giants Philadelphia Union to the Hasely Crawford Stadium for the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup Round One clash on Wednesday.
It’s a historic first meeting between the two clubs and the first time Defence Force has faced opposition from the United States in the Champions Cup.
Philadelphia qualified as 2025 MLS Supporters’ Shield winners. Defence Force earned their spot as third-place finishers in the 2025 Caribbean Cup.
Defence Force are two-time Champions Cup winners, lifting the trophy in 1978 and 1985 — the only club from Trinidad and Tobago to achieve the feat.
However, they’ve been eliminated in both previous two-legged series against North American clubs, losing to CF América in the 1987 Grand Final and to CF Pachuca in the 2002 Round of 16.
For Philadelphia, this is their first time facing Caribbean opposition and their second appearance in the first round.