🦁 Larcamón's León outwits LAFC to lift CCL trophy
What does it mean for 'the gap'? PLUS: Conca-catch-up!
From BMO Stadium in Los Angeles
It looked like a curse, but it turned into a blessing. On May 7, León conceded three consecutive goals to underdog Atletico San Luis in the first half of a playoff match, fell 3-1 and was left with no more Liguilla matches.
For nearly a month, the only thing that occupied León manager Nicolás Larcamón’s mind was how he would set up his team against Los Angeles FC in the Concacaf Champions League final.
Rather than rusty, León looked confident, rested and ultimately superior, celebrating its first-ever Concacaf title on the field here as fans took to the streets in León.
“I think we put together a game plan that was very difficult for LAFC to resolve, it was a game plan that helped a lot,” Larcamón said Sunday night, after wrapping up a 3-1 aggregate victory. “Something that helped us is that in MLS there are very few teams that play with a back five, which maybe made it tough for them to get their defense coordinated.”
Larcamón’s opposite number, LAFC manager Steve Cherundolo, brought up some of the familiar frustrations expressed by MLS managers during CCLs gone by: The gap between Liga MX teams and their MLS counterparts exists because of the financial regulations and the schedule makes it tough for MLS teams to win.
“As an MLS team in tournaments like this, if you want to consistently compete in finals and win these, you’re going to have to rethink your roster rules and regulations. You’re at a big disadvantage,” he said.