LAFC are one game away from becoming the second straight MLS team to lift a Concacaf Champions League title, but need to overcome a 2-1 aggregate deficit in Sunday’s Leg 2 home encounter with Liga MX side Club León at BMO Stadium.
How to watch and stream
- English: FS1
- Spanish: TUDN
When
- Sunday, June 4 | 9 pm ET/6 pm PT
Where
- BMO Stadium | Los Angeles, California
There’s no away-goals rule for the 2023 CCL final, so LAFC must win by a two-goal margin to lift the trophy in regulation time. If the teams are level on aggregate after 90 minutes, then extra time and possibly penalty kicks would await.
The defending MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield champions hope to piggyback off Seattle Sounders FC’s historic breakthrough in 2022, when they became the league's first-ever CCL champion. Regional bragging rights, prize money and spots in two upcoming FIFA Club World Cup tournaments (2023 and 2025) are all on the line.
LAFC are in their second CCL final in four years. They lost the 2020 edition to Liga MX's Tigres UANL, who fell to León in this edition's semifinals.
- Round of 16: 4-2 aggregate vs. Alajuelense (Costa Rica)
- Quarterfinal: 6-0 aggregate vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (MLS)
- Semifinal: 4-1 aggregate vs. Philadelphia Union (MLS)
Head coach Steve Cherundolo spared no criticisms after their Leg 1 performance at Estadio León, calling his group “extremely lucky” to only be down 2-1 and ensuring a “much improved” approach on Sunday.
The good news is LAFC, through star forward Dénis Bouanga, pulled a goal back at the death and aren’t out of the series. Bouanga’s 96th-minute tally off fullback Sergi Palencia’s cross gave him seven goals and four assists in seven games during this year’s continental club competition.
LAFC are poised to welcome defender Jesús Murillo back from a yellow-card suspension, while midfielder Kellyn Acosta may be available after recovering from an injury. Regardless, Cherundolo could swap a few lineup places while hoping to spark his team.
Keep a close eye on Black & Gold goalkeeper John McCarthy, too. He had a man-of-the-match performance at León (five saves) and could be called upon in PKs, just like last year’s MLS Cup when he became a club legend in front of the 3252.
- Round of 16: 3-0 aggregate vs. Tauro FC (Panama)
- Quarterfinal: 6-2 aggregate vs. AC Violette (Haiti)
- Semifinal: 4-3 aggregate vs. Tigres UANL (Mexico)
León showed no signs of rust in Leg 1, despite having a three-plus week break in competitive action after being bounced from the Liga MX playoffs in early May. Their collective confidence appeared in head coach Nicolás Larcamón’s postgame press conference when he declared: “I am left with very good feelings about what we are capable of doing on Sunday.”
León’s 2-1 aggregate lead at halftime of the series arrived via goals from center back William Tesillo and winger Ángel Mena. The scoreline could have been far more lopsided, too, as La Fiera created chance after chance at home.
Now, the Mexican side hopes to win their first-ever CCL title and atone for a 2020 Round-of-16 series when they were up 2-0 on LAFC (at home) after the first leg. In the away fixture (second leg), LAFC roared back to win the series 3-2.
Should León win, it would be their second trophy in three years over an MLS opponent after beating Seattle in 2021 to become Leagues Cup champions.
