CONCACAF Champions League final tips: Club Leon and LAFC to find the net in first leg
- George Dempsey
- 31 May 2023
Old foes Mexico and the United States clash as Club Leon of Liga MX face Los Angeles FC of MLS in the CONCACAF Champions League final.
Date, KO time and TV coverage
CONCACAF Champions League final, Wednesday June 1st, Kick-off 3am
Suggested bets
What is the CONCACAF Champions League?
The CONCACAF Champions League features teams from Mexico, USA, Honduras, Costa Rica, Jamaica and other sides in the North, Central America and Caribbean region.
Like the Champions League, it follows a group format to establish who qualifies for the knockout stages, which start with a round of 16.
Every knockout round is a two-legged tie, including the final. Mexican sides have won the competition 38 times, with MLS teams lifting the trophy just three times.
Club Leon vs Los Angeles FC verdict
The 2023 CONCACAF Champions League final could be one of the most interesting ones yet. It pits Mexico against the USA once again, but the US could be getting the upper hand.
It's a rerun of the 2020 final when Club Leon of Mexico beat Los Angeles FC 2-0 on home soil. Back in the States, LAFC ran out comfortable 3-0 winners to progress.
Mexican sides had won 16 straight Champions League finals dating back to a sensational double for Costa Rican sides in 2004 and 2005.
However, MLS broke that stranglehold in 2022. Seattle Sounders drew 2-2 in Mexico against Pumas UNAM before winning the home leg. LAFC also have a home advantage this year.
Before 2018, MLS teams had a 2-18 record in two-legged ties against Mexican opposition. Since then, the American sides have gone 12-17 and have performed better in the last two seasons.
If any side can confirm that the MLS is almost on par, it's LAFC. They are, arguably, the most impressive team the league has ever produced.
Since they arrived in 2018, no club has scored more goals or picked up more points than Steve Cherundolo's men.
They're also unbeaten on their travels in the competition this season, although those matches did come against MLS teams and a Costa Rican side, which American teams typically dominate.
In 2020, they lost both of their trips to Mexico, but this is a better team. Leon are by no means MX's most feared side, finishing six in the most recent standings.
They aren't even a CONCACAF regular with a total absence between 2014 and 2020. They're even winless in five against MLS sides, drawing at home with Seattle and Toronto.
LAFC would potentially settle for a one-goal defeat but they're capable of getting a result and scoring goals. We expect an attacking game with both sides contributing to the scoring.
