Los Angeles FC’s first taste of Concacaf Champions League ended on a sour note Tuesday night as the tournament debutantes fell, 2-0, to Liga MX’s Club León in the first leg of the round of 16.
LAFC have a shot at redemption and can still advance to the quarterfinals, but need to beat León in the second leg, which the Black and Gold will host at Banc of California Stadium Feb. 27. To make it through, LAFC has to score at least three goals and hold León scoreless.
Both sides have been dominant in their respective leagues in recent months — Los Angeles as Major League Soccer’s 2019 Supporters’ Shield winner and Club León as the runner-up in the 2019 Liga MX Clausura — but Tuesday’s first leg at the Estadio León was far from an even contest.