Colorado Rapids

Preview | Rapids set for matchup against Club León with Leagues Cup knockout stage spot on the line

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COMMERCE CITY, Colo – The Colorado Rapids (0-1-0, 0 pts.) are set for their second and final group stage match of Leagues Cup against Liga MX side Club León (0-1-0, 0 pts.) at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park on Monday. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. MT (Apple TV—MLS Season Pass, Altitude Sports Radio 950AM).

This will be the final match of West Group 5 in Leagues Cup, with Portland Timbers winning both of their matchups to secure their spot in the knockout stage. The winner of Monday’s match, either in regulation or a shootout following a draw, will advance to the next round of the tournament.

Both clubs are coming off losses in their opening match to start Leagues Cup, which puts everything on the line this Monday for their hopes of advancing. For Colorado, it would be the first time they have made it to the tournament’s knockout stage in the competition’s two-year history, while León will be looking to do so for the second consecutive season.

The Rapids will attempt to bounce back from their opening match of the group stage, a 4-0 loss on the road to Portland this past Thursday.

León was also handed a loss against the Timbers in a 2-1 contest at Providence Park. The lone goal for the side was recorded by 2024 signing Alan Medina. The 26-year-old winger joined the club in January of this year and had recorded seven goals across all competitions since then.

While this has been the second edition of Leagues Cup for the Rapids, multiple players made their tournament debut last Thursday. Zack Steffen, Jackson Travis, Sam Vines, Oliver Larraz, Wayne Frederick, Jonathan Lewis and Rafael Navarro all made their Leagues Cup debuts in Portland.

Despite being in two separate leagues in two separate nations, there are no shortage of connections between Colorado and Club León. Rapids and MLS legend Marcelo Balboa played for Club León in the 1994-95 season right before joining Colorado for the club’s inaugural MLS season in 1996. These two clubs also share ties with players such as William Yarbrough, Alain N’Kong, and Giles Barnes.