Usually for Los Angeles soccer you’re either navy blue and gold or gold and black. But right now, LA is green.
LIGA MX side Club León completed the LA double in its last two trips to the City of Angels for intercontinental competition.
The first leg of this sweep was the second leg of the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League final on June 6. Club León came into the match ahead of Los Angeles Football Club 2-1 on aggregate after the first leg in Mexico.
Just 20 minutes into the match, Club León’s Lucas Di Yorio found the back of the net with the help of Iván Moreno. The goal was enough to not just win the match, but it also sealed the teams two-leg win for the CONCACAF Champions League trophy.
Fast forward to July 27 and Club León found itself back in LA, this time at the home of the LA Galaxy. Following a scoreless first half, Club León broke through in the 58th minute.
Forward Ángel Mena (who scored a goal in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final) slipped in behind the LA defense while Osvaldo Rodriguez sent a through ball into the box. Mena just needed a single tough to beat the keeper and net the game winner.
Club León’s LA sweep also clinched them the top spot in West Group 3. The club earned its first two points of Leagues Cup 2023 on Friday, July 21st, after a draw with Vancouver Whitecaps followed by a 19-round penalty shootout. Club León won the record-breaking shootout 16-15 to earn the extra point in the group.
Club León now has five points at the top of the group and awaits their next opponent; the runner up in Group West 2. Following Monterrey CF’s 3-0 win over Real Salt Lake tonight, that group is still wide open. Monterrey still has to play Seattle Sounders FC on July 20th. If Los Rayados win or draw, they will win the group and RSL will face Club León. If the Sounders win, all three clubs in the group will have three points, and the top two points will be decided by a series of tiebreakers.
