LOS ANGELES, California – For their first time in their history, Club Leon are champions of Concacaf after defeating Los Angeles FC 3-1 on aggregate to claim the 2023 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League journey.
Thirty years after appearing in their only previous Concacaf Final in 1993 and participating in their fifth SCCL, Club Leon finally scaled the Concacaf mountaintop.
Their journey to the crown started in early March in Panama with a visit to Panama City to play Tauro FC in the Round of 16.
An Ivan Moreno goal proved to be the difference, giving La Fiera a commanding lead going back to home for the second leg. In Mexico, first half goals from Brian Rubio and Elias Hernandez cemented Club Leon’s triumph in a 3-0 aggregate final.
The next round saw Club Leon take on Haitian upstarts Violette, who had defeated MLS side Austin FC in the previous round for the first Haitian SCCL series win ever.
Club Leon accepted the challenge with gusto and used a 5-0 first leg win at home to put the tie on ice, with two goals from 2023 SCCL Best Player Victor Davila and scores from Angel Mena, Lucas Di Yorio and Hernandez.
Despite a 2-1 defeat in the second leg in the Dominican Republic in which Rubio scored, Club Leon still marched to a 6-2 aggregate win to reach their first ever SCCL semifinal.
Taking on 2020 SCCL winners and fellow Liga MX side Tigres in the semifinals, Club Leon raced out to a strong start thanks to Davila’s first half goal, a crucial away score. Tigres would emerge with a 2-1 win, but Club Leon still fancied their chances at home in the return leg and got early goals from Fidel Ambriz and Mena to swing the series in their favor.
A Tigres goal evened the series, but the last word belonged to Club Leon, as Adonis Frias scored the series-winning goal in the 79th minute for a 4-3 series victory.
Club Leon would face another familiar foe in the Final, Los Angeles FC, who eliminated Club Leon in the 2020 Round of 16.
The Mexican side were superb at home in the first leg and held a late 2-0 lead thanks to goals from William Tesillo and Mena, however a Denis Bouanga strike for LAFC in the dying seconds made it a 2-1 final.
Club Leon arrived to Los Angeles for the second leg buoyed by their first leg effort and it showed in spades in the decisive second leg, as Di Yorio’s first half goal held up the entire way, giving Club Leon a 3-1 series win and a first ever Concacaf crown.
⚽ ¡Gol de @clubleonfc!
— Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League (@TheChampions) June 5, 2023
🦁 Lucas Di Yorio anota el primer tanto del partido y pone el marcador global 3-1 a favor de los Panzas Verdes. | #SCCL23 pic.twitter.com/h2TfRyNhPD
