Vancouver’s Luis Martins hit the right post with a shot in the 19th round of a shootout, allowing Leon to escape with a 16-15 win on penalty kicks over the host Whitecaps in a Leagues Cup group-opening match on Friday.
The teams had played to a 2-2 regulation draw in the West 3 Group contest.
The month-long Leagues Cup includes all 47 teams from MLS and Liga MX. For matches that go to penalty kicks, the winner gets two standings points and the loser gets one. Winners in regulation get three points.
In the shootout at Vancouver, each team converted its first two attempts, missed its next two, then converted the next three. Both teams missed in the eighth round before scoring in the next 10 rounds — including both goalies making their shots.
Borja Sanchez scored for Leon in the 19th round before Martins misfired.
Elias Hernandez produced the tying goal for Leon in the 77th minute.
Sergio Cordova scored on either side of halftime to give the Whitecaps a 2-1 lead before Hernandez scored on a shot from outside the 18-yard box to level the score. Ivan Moreno had put Leon on top in the 23rd minute.
The group also includes the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Orlando City 1, Houston 1 (Orlando City win 5-4 on penalty kicks)
Pedro Gallese saved Hector Herrera’s attempt to open the shootout, and host Orlando City went on to top the Dynamo following a regulation draw.
The contest was the first in South 2 Group, which also includes Mexico’s Santos Laguna.
Amine Bassi gave Houston the lead by converting a penalty kick in first-half stoppage time.
Orlando responded with a goal 32 seconds into the second half. Dynamo goalie Andrew Tarbell gave the ball away to a charging Duncan McGuire inside his own penalty area, and McGuire rolled the ball into the vacated net.
In the shootout, following Herrera’s miss, every player converted his attempt, with Facundo Torres connecting for the match-winner.
Charlotte FC 2, FC Dallas 2 (Charlotte wins 4-1 on penalty kicks)
Ben Bender’s sliding volley off an assist from Ashley Westwood tied the match for Charlotte in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time, and the visitors beat FC Dallas in Frisco, Texas, in the opener of the South 4 Group.
In the shootout, Kristijan Kahlina stopped the first two attempts by Dallas, from Sebastian Lletget and Marco Farfan. Charlotte converted all four of its penalty kicks, with Patrick Agyemang making the clincher.
The group also includes Liga MX’s Necaxa.
Mazatlan 3, Austin FC 1
David Colman, Andres Montano and Eduard Bello scored second-half goals as Mazatlan prevailed in Austin, Texas, to become the first Mexican team to win a Leagues Cup match.
Colman opened the scoring in the South 1 Group in the 49th minute, and Austin’s Diego Fagundez equalized with a penalty kick in the 65th minute.
Montano put the visitors in front for good two minutes later, and Bello sealed the outcome in the 88th minute.
The group also includes Liga MX’s Juarez.
–Field Level Media
