RAPIDS TRAVEL TO MEXICO FOR SECOND LEG OF CONCACAF CHAMPIONS CUP FIXTURE AGAINST LEON FOLLOWING 1-0 WIN IN DENVER

DENVER (Monday, July 13, 1998) - The Colorado Rapids travel to Leon, Mexico Wednesday for the second leg of the qualifying round of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The Rapids will look to advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament, as they carry a 1-0 lead into Wednesday's second leg following the first leg in Denver on June 28. The Rapids and Leon are playing a home-and-home series. If the teams split the two games, total goals will decide the winner. If total goals are equal, the winner will then be determined by the "away goals rule," where the team with the most goals scored on the road will advance. If that total also is equal, the fixture will be decided by extra time and then penalty kicks after the second leg in Leon. The prestigious event, featuring the top clubs in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, marks 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." The winner of the fixture will face Luis Angel Firpo of El Salvador at Washington, D.C.'s R.F.K. Stadium on Tuesday, August 11 in the quarterfinals.

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. It was Balboa's late goal that defeated Leon, 1-0, in the first leg.

Rapids Win
RAPIDS
Teams Tie
RAPIDS
Leon Wins 1-0
TEAMS PLAY EXTRA TIME
Leon Wins By One Goal But Rapids Score
RAPIDS (On Away Goal Rule)
Leon Wins by Two Goals Or More
LEON

The Colorado Rapids battle Mexican First Division club Leon 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.

Wednesday, July 15  7:15 MST     Estadio Noucamp  Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico

The Rapids knocked off Leon, 1-0, on an 83rd-minute strike by Marcelo Balboa in Game One at Mile High Stadum on June 28, 1998. An affair that started with a physical nature, both team settled down to play an attacking brand of soccer, yet failed to produce any goals for the first 82 minutes. With Leon only seven minutes from securing the all-important road draw, Adrian Paz crossed a ball from the right flank, for a sliding Balboa to knock into the far corner of the net and give the Rapids the advantage heading into the second leg in Leon.

"CONCACAF" is the name of the USA's geographical soccer region, standing for "Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Football." This is the 32-team geographic region that the U.S. National Team had to qualify out of to advance to the 1998 World Cup Finals in France.