2023_CONCACAF_Champions_League_final

2023 CONCACAF Champions League final

2023 CONCACAF Champions League final

Two-legged club soccer final match

The 2023 CONCACAF Champions League final was the final round of the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League, the 15th and final edition of the CONCACAF Champions Cup under the Champions League name, and overall the 58th edition of the premier club soccer competition organized by CONCACAF, the regional governing body of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Quick Facts Event, León ...

The final was contested in a two-legged home-and-away series by Los Angeles FC of Major League Soccer and Club León of Liga MX. León hosted the first leg at Estadio León in León, Guanajuato, Mexico, on May 31 and won 2–1. Los Angeles FC hosted the second leg at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California, United States, on June 4 and lost 1–0. The final was pushed back to allow for the Clasura 2023 finals to take place in Mexico. León won 3–1 on aggregate.

Venues

More information Los Angeles, León ...

Road to the final

Further information: 2023 CONCACAF Champions League

Both teams in the final had yet to win a CONCACAF Champions League, but previously reached the finals in previous editions. León and Los Angeles FC last played each other in the 2020 CONCACAF Champions League's round of 16, which LAFC won 3–2 on aggregate.[1][2]

León

Club León previously qualified for the final round of the 1993 CONCACAF Champions' Cup, but lost in the round-robin group to Costa Rica's Deportivo Saprissa on goal difference.[3] They had some league success in the 2010s and qualified for multiple editions of the CONCACAF Champions League, but were eliminated in three consecutive years by MLS teams. Their best finish during this stretch came in the 2022 edition, where they lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champions Seattle Sounders FC.[4] León qualified for the 2023 edition—their fifth in the continental tournament—as the runners-up in the 2021 Apertura playoffs in Liga MX.[5]

The team were drawn against Panamanian side Tauro in the round of 16 and won 1–0 in the first leg, which was played in Panama City. Iván Moreno scored the lone goal of the match in the 55th minute from close range after receiving a deflected ball from a Tauro defender.[6] León won 2–0 in the second leg to advance 3–0 on aggregate to the quarterfinals; Brian Rubio and Elías Hernández both scored in the first half.[7]

In the quarterfinals, León played Haitian side Violette AC, who had earned an upset victory against Austin FC of MLS in the previous round. In the first leg at Estadio León, the hosts won 5–0 with a brace from Víctor Dávila in the second half and two goals in stoppage time.[8] The team lost 2–1 in the second leg, conceding twice to Violette's Miche-Naider Chéry, but advanced 6–2 on aggregate to their first semifinals.[9]

León met fellow Liga MX side Tigres in the semifinals and played away in the first leg. Dávila opened the scoring in the fifth minute, but a pair of goals created by Tigres winger Luis Quiñones near halftime gave the hosts a 2–1 win.[10] During the first 15 minutes of the second leg, Fidel Ambríz and Ángel Mena scored for León to take the lead on aggregate. Raymundo Fulgencio equalized for Tigres, but a 79th-minute strike by Adonis Frías from a corner kick clinched a 3–1 win and 4–3 aggregate victory for León.[11]

Los Angeles FC

See also: 2023 Los Angeles FC season

Los Angeles FC (LAFC) entered MLS as an expansion team in 2018. The club qualified for the 2020 CONCACAF Champions League as winners of the 2019 MLS Supporters' Shield and advanced to the final, which had been delayed to December due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was played in Orlando, Florida. LAFC lost 2–1 to Tigres UANL, becoming the fourth MLS team and second from the United States to finish as runners-up under the modern Champions League format.[12][13]

As MLS Cup 2022 champions and Supporters' Shield holders, LAFC qualified for their second Champions League.[14] They lost several key players in the offseason, including midfielder Latif Blessing and forwards Cristian Arango and Cristian Tello, and signed several replacements but still lacked a new center forward option.[15] The club were drawn against Costa Rican side Alajuelense, the 2022 CONCACAF League runners-up, in the round of 16 and won the away leg 3–0 with a hat-trick scored by Denis Bouanga.[16] LAFC lost 2–1 in the second leg at home but advanced with a 4–2 aggregate score.[17]

In the quarterfinals, LAFC faced fellow MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps FC from Canada and won 6–0 on aggregate, scoring thrice in each leg. The away leg in Vancouver was decided by a trio of goals within ten minutes during the second half—Bouanga's brace and assist to Kwadwo Opoku.[18] Captain Carlos Vela scored twice in the second leg—from a penalty kick and close range in the first half—and was joined after half-time by José Cifuentes, who entered as a substitute and struck both posts with his goal.[19]

The semifinal was a rematch of the MLS Cup final played five months earlier between LAFC and the Philadelphia Union, who had also finished as runners-up in the Supporters' Shield race.[20] A league fixture for LAFC was rescheduled to accommodate the semifinal series as well as potential advancement to the final.[21] LAFC drew 1–1 in the first leg and won 3–0 in the second leg to advance from the semifinals. They became the first MLS team to advance to a second Champions League final under the current format.[22] LAFC's league matches against St. Louis City SC and Atlanta United FC were rescheduled due to conflicts with the two legs of the final as well as the 2023 U.S. Open Cup.[23][24]

Summary of results

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: Home; A: Away).
More information Los Angeles FC, Round ...

Format

The final will be played in a home-and-away two-legged series, with the team with the better performance in previous rounds hosting the second leg. Unlike in earlier rounds, away goals will not be a tiebreaker in the second leg. Instead, 30 minutes of extra time (divided into 15-minute periods) is played if the match is tied after regulation time; a sixth substitute is also permitted during extra time. Additional substitutions are permitted for players showing signs of a concussion or a traumatic head injury after up to three minutes of evaluation by a medical officer. If the score is still tied after extra time, a penalty shoot-out is used to determine the winner (Regulations Article 12.8).[25]

Performance ranking

In the final, the finalist which has the better performances in previous rounds host the second leg.

Matches

First leg

Details

More information León, 2–1 ...
Attendance: 20,517
GK30Mexico Rodolfo Cota
RB3Mexico Iván Moreno
CB21Colombia Jaine BarreiroYellow card 90+8'
CB22Argentina Adonis FríasYellow card 43'
LB6Colombia William Tesillo (c)Yellow card 33'
RM13Ecuador Ángel Menadownward-facing red arrow 63'
CM26Mexico Fidel Ambríz
CM29Argentina Lucas RomeroYellow card 65'
LM19Colombia Yairo Morenodownward-facing red arrow 8'
CF7Chile Víctor Dáviladownward-facing red arrow 85'
CF20Mexico Alfonso Alvaradodownward-facing red arrow 63'
Substitutes:
GK1Mexico Alfonso Blanco
GK40Mexico Óscar García
DF23Ecuador Byron Castillo
DF24Mexico Osvaldo Rodríguezupward-facing green arrow 63'
DF25Mexico Paul Bellón
MF8Mexico José Iván Rodríguez
MF11Mexico Elías Hernándezupward-facing green arrow 8'downward-facing red arrow 63'
MF12Costa Rica Joel Campbellupward-facing green arrow 63'
MF27Mexico Jesús Angulo
FW15Mexico Brian Rubioupward-facing green arrow 85'
FW18Argentina Lucas Di Yorioupward-facing green arrow 63'
Manager:
Argentina Nicolás Larcamón
GK77United States John McCarthy
RB24United States Ryan HollingsheadYellow card 45+4'downward-facing red arrow 60'
CB2Honduras Denil MaldonadoYellow card 45'
CB33United States Aaron Long
LB12Ecuador Diego Palacios
RM11United States Timothy Tillmandownward-facing red arrow 85'
CM6Spain Ilie Sánchezdownward-facing red arrow 68'
LM20Ecuador José CifuentesYellow card 89'
RF22Ghana Kwadwo Opokudownward-facing red arrow 60'
CF10Mexico Carlos Vela (c)
LF99Gabon Dénis Bouanga
Substitutes:
GK1Switzerland Eldin Jakupović
DF18Mexico Erik Dueñasupward-facing green arrow 85'
DF30Spain Sergi Palenciaupward-facing green arrow 60'
DF80United States Julian Gaines
MF17Peru Daniel Crisostomo
MF19Poland Mateusz Boguszupward-facing green arrow 68'
MF23United States Kellyn Acosta
FW7Croatia Stipe Biukupward-facing green arrow 60'
FW27Mexico Nathan Ordaz
Manager:
United States Steve Cherundolo

Assistant referees:
Luis Aroldo Ventura (Guatemala)
Humberto Panjoj (Guatemala)
Fourth official:
Mario Escobar (Guatemala)
Video assistant referee:
Drew Fischer (Canada)
Assistant video assistant referees:
Guillermo Pacheco Larios (Mexico)

Second leg

Details

More information Los Angeles FC, 0–1 ...
Attendance: 22,413
GK77United States John McCarthy
RB30Spain Sergi Palenciadownward-facing red arrow 56'
CB3Colombia Jesús David MurilloYellow card 75'
CB14Italy Giorgio Chiellinidownward-facing red arrow 46'
CB33United States Aaron Longdownward-facing red arrow 69'
LB12Ecuador Diego PalaciosYellow card 19'
CM6Spain Ilie SánchezYellow card 32'downward-facing red arrow 63'
CM23United States Kellyn Acosta
RF10Mexico Carlos Vela (c)Yellow card 52'downward-facing red arrow 64'
CF99Gabon Dénis Bouanga
LF19Poland Mateusz Bogusz
Substitutes:
GK1Switzerland Eldin Jakupović
DF2Honduras Denil Maldonadoupward-facing green arrow 69'
DF18Mexico Erik Dueñas
DF24United States Ryan HollingsheadYellow card 90'upward-facing green arrow 56'
DF80United States Julian Gaines
MF11United States Timothy Tillmanupward-facing green arrow 63'
MF17Peru Daniel Crisostomo
MF20Ecuador José Cifuentesupward-facing green arrow 46'
FW7Croatia Stipe Biukupward-facing green arrow 64'
FW22Ghana Kwadwo Opoku
FW27Mexico Nathan Ordaz
Manager:
United States Steve Cherundolo
GK30Mexico Rodolfo Cota
RB3Mexico Iván MorenoYellow card 76'downward-facing red arrow 87'
CB21Colombia Jaine BarreiroYellow card 19'
CB22Argentina Adonis FríasYellow card 81'
LB6Colombia William Tesillo (c)
DM29Argentina Lucas Romero
RW13Ecuador Ángel Menadownward-facing red arrow 69'
AM26Mexico Fidel AmbrízYellow card 80'
LW11Mexico Elías Hernándezdownward-facing red arrow 86'
CF18Argentina Lucas Di Yoriodownward-facing red arrow 76'
CF7Chile Víctor Dávila
Substitutes:
GK1Mexico Alfonso Blanco
GK40Mexico Óscar García
DF23Ecuador Byron Castillo
DF24Mexico Osvaldo Rodríguezupward-facing green arrow 87'
DF25Mexico Paul Bellón
DF34Mexico Óscar Villa
MF8Mexico José Iván Rodríguez
MF27Mexico Jesús Angulo
MF28Mexico David Ramírez
FW12Costa Rica Joel CampbellYellow card 90+9'upward-facing green arrow 69'
FW15Mexico Brian Rubioupward-facing green arrow 76'
FW20Mexico Alfonso Alvaradoupward-facing green arrow 86'
Manager:
Argentina Nicolás Larcamón

References

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