Sep 13, 2016; Kansas City, KS, USA; Vancouver Whitecaps forward Alphonso Davies (67) is congratulated by team mates after scoring the winning goal in extra time of the match against Sporting Kansas City at Children's Mercy Park. Vancouver won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Vancouver Whitecaps are set to face the New York Red Bulls in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League in early 2017.

2016 may have been a year to forget for the Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS play. But it was a different story in the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL). With a mostly second-choice lineup of players, the Whitecaps strung together four straight wins in that competition, scoring 10 goals and even keeping two clean sheets. The MLS playoffs are gone, but the CCL quarterfinals are beckoning.

It’s been a roller-coaster of a week in the CCL despite Vancouver not even playing. First Olimpia of Honduras (Whitecaps fans will remember Olimpia from last season’s less successful jaunt in the CCL) drew 4-4 with Pachuca of Mexico on Wednesday night. The Mexican team ended on 10 points and allowed the Whitecaps to seal the number one seeding for the quarterfinals.

That left the Whitecaps waiting for the outcome of tonight’s matchup between FC Dallas and Suchitepéquez of Guatemala. As Suchitepéquez raced into a 2-0 lead, ‘Caps fans were searching for February flights to Guatemala. Then FC Dallas started a comeback. By halftime the game was level, and as Dallas took the lead shortly after halftime, it was looking like that February trip was going to be to Texas, instead.

Then FC Dallas kept scoring, with goals in the 87th and 90th minutes to end with a 5-2 win. The fifth goal was enough to take their goal difference above that of the Red Bulls, who won Group G. So the eight seed spot goes to NYRB instead, and the Whitecaps will be heading to New York in February. Here is what the full bracket looks like:

Whoever wins the quarterfinal will be rewarded with a semifinal against a team of Mexican felines – either Pumas or Tigres.