DENVER (Tuesday, June 23, 1998) - The Colorado Rapids will host Mexican First Division club Leon on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. MST in the first leg of the home-and-home qualifying round of the CONCACAF Champions Cup tournament. The prestigious event, featuring the top clubs in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, will mark the first time the Rapids have competed in a major international tournament.

The Rapids, along with MLS Cup '97 champions D.C. United, qualified for the tournament based on reaching the MLS championship game in 1997.

"CONCACAF" is the name of the USA's geographical soccer region, standing for "Confederation of North, Central American And Caribbean Football." Colorado will travel to Mexico to face Leon in the second leg of the fixture on July 15.

Tickets are now on sale for the first leg of the tournament through all regular Rapids ticket outlets. The winner of the fixture will advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament, and will face the top qualifier from Central America at Washington, D.C.'s R.F.K. Stadium on Tuesday, August 11. If the teams split the two games, total goals will determine the winner of the fixture.

WHO'S IN (3): Already qualified for the quarterfinals are D.C. United and Mexican Club Cruz Azul, which won the tournament last year. Joining those two clubs will be Toluca, the winner of the 1998 Mexican Summer League playoffs in May.

THE QUALIFIERS (5): One quarterfinal spot will go to the winner of the Rapids/Leon fixture, both of whom were runners up in their respective countries last season. Out of qualifying stages also about to take place, three Central American teams and one Caribbean team will advance to the quarterfinal round.

BALBOA PLAYED FOR LEON: Colorado Rapids defender/midfielder Marcelo Balboa knows the Rapids' opponent well, as he spent two seasons playing for the Mexican club before joining the Rapids. Balboa joined a struggling Leon team in 1995 and kept them in the first division, and then led them to the playoffs the following season. The Rapids are hoping to have Balboa in uniform Sunday, with the United States eliminated from advancing to the second round of the 1998 World Cup in France.

---BRACKETS FOLLOW---