LAFC vs. León – Football Match Report – June 4, 2023

Leon beat LAFC 1-0 in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final at BMO Stadium on Sunday to win its first-ever continental title by a final of 3-1 on aggregate.

LAFC came into the match trailing 2-1 from the first leg in Leon, looking to overturn that deficit and make it back-to-back Champions League title for MLS after Seattle Sounders FC beat beat Pumas in last year’s final.

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But despite a good showing in the opening 20 minutes, the hosts found themselves behind when Ivan Moreno broke down the right flank and picked out Lucas Di Yorio in the center of the area to beat John McCarthy with a first-time shot.

From there on Leon had the better of possession and chances on goal and LAFC was fortunate to go into the break still only trailing 1-0.

LAFC manager Carlos Bocanegra put Jose Cifuentes on for Giorgio Chiellini at half-time and pulled Carlos Vela, who’d been largely ineffective throughout, in the 64th minute as the home side continued to try to find a way back into the game.

Shortly before 70 minutes, Lucas Romero clashed heads with Aaron Long, who was attempting to head a loose ball in from the top of the six-yard box with both players requiring attention on the field from their teams’ medical staff.

Moreno was able to play on, but LAFC was forced to bring Denil Maldonado on for Long, who left the pitch holding a towel to his head with the assistance of two team staff.

In all, Bocanegra made six changes to his team in the second, but it was to no avail as Leon continued to frustrate the 2022 MLS Cup champions and saw out 10 minutes of second-half stoppage time to earn a historic win for the club.

The result earns Leon a spot in next year’s Club World Cup, which will be held from Dec. 12-22 in Saudi Arabia. Leon also earned an automatic bid to the expanded 32-team Club World Cup that begins in 2025.