CLUB WORLD CUP
Club León fans down but not out after CWC disappointment
La Fiera failed to advance at the 2023 Club World Cup but Jeddah based León fans are optimistic that the good times will soon be back.
After Seattle Sounders disappointing performance in February’s Club World Cup in Morocco where the MLS side were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Egypt’s Al Ahly, Liga MX side and 2023 CONCACAF Champions League winners Club León were hoping to deliver a better showing for the region at the current tournament in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia).
However, an underpar performance from Los Esmeraldas against Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds and a 1-0 defeat led to an early exit from the competition and soon after the club announced that they had parted ways with head coach Nicolás Larcamón. A long way to travel for the 100 or so valiant León fans who made the 8,000 mile trip to see their side fall at the first hurdle.
AS USA caught up Daniel Moreno and José Luis Rodriguez, two of the Club León fans clad in the distinctive green jersey in Jeddah who, despite the early elimination were determined to make the most of their trip and now look forward to the 2024 Liga MX Clausura season.
At what point did you decide to make the trip to Jeddah to see León?
Daniel Moreno: As soon as León won their first ever CONCACAF CL, we were really excited about the problem of possibly facing the likes of Manchester City in the semi-final and we thought that the whole thing would be a really cool experience.
José Luis Rodriguez: For me it was a last minute decision to come to to Jeddah even though I was at the CCL final in Los Angeles. I did have some hesitation as the recent performances of the team were not on a par of those with the side that won the title against LAFC last June, and also being aware that we may only get to see the team play only one game was not very appealing either. My wife was saying to me that I was crazy and many in the group decided to pull out.
So what went wrong against Urawa?
DM: All the León supporters genuinely thought that we’d have little trouble getting past the Japanese team and most fans also bought tickets for the semi-final against Manchester City.
The coach was slow to react and failed to make the right changes at the right time. The team also seemed to lack motivation and did have many players absent through injury and I’d also say that confidence was also low as we didn’t finish the 2023 Apertura in good form.
JLR: I’m still really disappointed. Maybe I’m getting older but I now take football matches and adverse results in a more relaxed manner and can now say, okay, it’s just football.
Why do CONCACAF clubs traditionally struggle at the Club World Cup tournaments?
JLR: Certainly I feel there is an issue with the Mexican League and there is such a strong desire to generate money and we see more US-Mexico match-ups at international and now club level with the Leagues Cup. Previously Liga MX sides were invited to play in the Copa Libertadores and this helped Mexican sides to adapt to other styles of play against a series of diverse clubs. We even saw Cruz Azul, Chivas and Tigres reach three finals against the top sides on the continent and we now lack this internationalization which helped our game in the past.
So, with the 2024 Clausura set to start in January, what are your hopes for the season ahead?
DM: León will also play in the new expanded format of the 2025 Club World Cup so we also need to start to build towards that so getting a good manager to replace Larcamon initially is key and bringing in decent new players is also vital.
JLR: I feel this tournament is going to be one of transition as there are players who are close to finishing their cycle at the club. The fans also need to be patient but the Liga MX format based upon the short tournament model is not conducive to patience with Mexican fans. The short tournament system may be a good driver for making money but with these competitions lasting for four or five months, it’s succeed or face angry supporters.
How has your experience been in Jeddah?
JLR: I was keen to come as it was the first time that León ever made it to a Club World Cup. I also had a great experience of the Arab world at the Qatar World Cup following Mexico and the people here really are so friendly and the only negative would be the arrival at the airport and immigration process.
DM: It has been difficult when you encounter people who don’t speak English but the people really are super friendly and the experience has been good... apart from the León result!