Timbers square-off with Liga MX's Club León in West 5 Group ...

Portland and León face one another for the first time. Tickets on sale! Kickoff set for 7:30pm PT from Providence Park.

It's the North American soccer event of the summer, and for the second-straight year the Portland Timbers open their Leagues Cup group-play in the comforts of Providence Park.

Taking a break from the MLS regular season, Portland enters Leagues Cup 2024 as the second highest-scoring team in the Western Conference and will look to carry that scoring fire over the next month. This Sunday, the Timbers face a new opponent in Liga MX's Club León. There's only one objective in mind this summer: a place in the Concacaf Champions Cup.

Match Details

⏱️ Kickoff — Sunday July 28 at 7:30pm PT, live from Providence Park.

Portland vs León | All You Need To Know ↓

In their second tournament participation, the Timbers seek to improve on the outcome of last year's round of 32 exit to C.F. Monterrey. As they kickoff this year's Leagues Cup campaign, Phil Neville and the boys in Green & Gold will try and replicate their recent MLS form against the top North American soccer competition. Through 25 regular-season matches, the Timbers currently sit in 8th place in the Western Conference with a record of 10-9-6 and 36 points claimed. It is their play in their last 13 games that has fueled Portland's recent rise, amassing an 8-3-2 record and claiming 72% of their total season points thus far over that span alone.

The Opponent: Club León (14th in Liga MX, 0-1-3, 1pt.)

The Esmeraldas, or Emeralds, as they're know south of the border, are amongst the more successful clubs in Mexico over the last 15 years. Club León have lifted the Liga MX title three times since 2013, most recently being crowned champions in the Guardianes 2020 season. They're also no strangers to international play, having won the Concacaf Champions Cup in 2023. The eight-time Mexican champions will be facing the Timbers for the first time on Sunday, but it won't be their first time at Providence Park. León previously played a friendly in Goose Hollow against Chivas de Guadalajara back in 2016 – a match they won 2-1.

However, this year has not been kind to the club from the state of Guanajuato, as they're off to one of their worst starts in recent history after four games in the Apertura 2024. Sitting 14th of 18 in the table and with a record of 0-1-3 and -3 goal differential, their Leagues Cup campaign this summer could not come at a better time for them as they will look to regroup and reset from their league form in an effort to return to the Concacaf Champions Cup. Led by Uruguayan head coach Jorge Bava, Club León has seeen some flashes of potential from its men. Venezuelan forward Jhonder Cadiz is their leading scorer (3g) and midfielders Luciano Cabral and Edgar Guerra have an assist each. Goalkeeper Alfonos Blanco has recorded one shutout and four saves in his four starts.

Here are some notes to know heading into the Liga MX-MLS clash at Providence Park:

10 in 16

Portland's offense is red-hot and rolling in 2024, and one of the biggest contributors has been designated player Jonathan Rodríguez who has 12 goals and 6 assists through 21 appearances. Rodríguez's resume comes with similar success against Club León during his time in Liga MX while playing for Santos Laguna, Cruz Azul, and C.F. América. In 16 appearances against León, Rodríguez registered 10 goal contributions (8g, 2a).

#9

Timbers #9 Felipe Mora also has Liga MX experience, and he too knows how to find the back of the net against Club León. During his time at Cruz Azul, Mora tallied once against the Esmeraldas, and with Pumas UNAM, "Pipe" registered a brace against León in 2018.

4-4-2

In 10 all-time matches against Liga MX clubs, the Timbers have held their own recording four wins, four losses, and two draws.