In addition to counting in regulation, away goals will count in extra time of the US Under-23 national team’s Olympic qualifying playoff series against Colombia, US Soccer confirmed to MLSsoccer.com on Wednesday.
The US will face off with Colombia in the series’ first leg in Barranquilla, Colombia on Friday (5 pm ET; FS1, UDN) before hosting the second leg at FC Dallas’ Toyota Stadium next Tuesday, March 29 (9:30 pm ET, ESPN2).
If the series is deadlocked after the end of regulation in the second leg, the matchup will move to extra time, with the teams facing off in two 15-minute periods. If extra time finishes scoreless, the series will move to a penalty kick shootout. If, however, both countries score the same number of goals in extra time, Colombia will advance to the Rio Olympics via the away goals tiebreaker.
In more concrete terms, if the US and Colombia draw 1-1 in the first leg, then draw 1-1 again in Texas in the second leg, the series will move to extra time. If the US and Colombia both then score one goal in extra-time, Colombia would advance to the Olympics because they had more away goals than the US.
Whether or not away goals count in extra time differs in various competitions around the world. For instance, away goals count in regulation in the MLS Cup Playoffs, but do not count in extra time. They count in regulation and extra time in other competitions, including in the UEFA Champions League.
