Club Leon’s SCCL quest begins with tricky test at Guastatoya

MIAMI, Florida – Club Leon’s quest for a first ever Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League series win begins with a tricky test away to Guastatoya of Guatemala in the 2022 SCCL Round of 16 first leg on Wednesday night at the Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores in Guatemala City.

It will be the first ever meeting between Club Leon and a Guatemalan side in Concacaf play, but the 27^th between clubs from Mexico and Guatemala since the birth of the Champions League format in 2008-09.

Club Leon have fallen at the Round of 16 stage in the last two SCCLs, but the pieces are certainly there to take that next step and potentially make a deep run. Among the players who will be leading La Fiera are MF Jean Meneses, veteran MF Luis Montes and attacker Elias Hernandez.

Meneses has a goal in four career SCCL appearances, while Montes was an SCCL champion with Pachuca in 2009-10 and Elias Hernandez has appeared in the SCCL with three different clubs: Tigres, Club Leon and Cruz Azul.

The 2020 Guardianes champions can expect a tough contest though against Guastatoya, who are appearing in their second SCCL.

The Chapines took down Costa Rican giants Alajuelense in the 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf League to qualify for the 2022 SCCL thanks in large part to the goal-scoring heroics of Luis Landin. The veteran Mexican FW had three goals in the 2021 SCL and will try to add to his Concacaf total in this series.

There is also good protection in the back with Mexican DF Omar Dominguez, who was named to the 2021 SCL Best XI.

Two teams aiming to win a first ever SCCL series should make for an exciting 180 minutes of football.

Match Officials