The official website has the phrase on its welcome page.

"El Rugido regresa a Primera Division."

That's Spanish for "The roar is back in the First Division."

The phrase is referring to Club Leon's recent promotion to Mexico's top flight league.

Leon is back in the First Division where it once was an elite team, a regular in the league.

But that was before the club was relegated to the Second Division or Liga de Ascenso. The team originated in the 1920s and has moved up and down divisions a number of times during its existence. It has won five league titles in the First Division, four of them coming in the late 1940s and 50s. The last one came during the 1991-1992 season.

Leon, also known as "Los Esmeralda's" are slated to host their first match in the Primera Division after spending the last 10 years in the minor leagues. Leon hosts Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles Friday night in a Week 2 matchup of the 2012 Apertura tournament.

Friday's game will be a meeting between clubs still adjusting to the premiership of Mexican soccer.

The Xolos are in their third tournament in the First Division and they already have reached the post season. Not to mention Tijuana is off to a fast start to this tournament after beating Puebla 2-0 in the season opener last week.

The same could be said about Leon. Los Esmeraldas have been away from the Primera Division but played last week as if it had never left. Leon beat Queretaro 2-0 in convincing fashion last week.

The promotion and first win of the season have sparked some hype in Leon. Reports out of there say the game against the Xolos is expected to sell out. Estadio Leon, officially known as Nou Camp, seats nearly 34,000 people. It is considered one of the nicest stadiums in Mexico. It hosted World Cup matches in 1970 and 1986.

Estadio Caliente hasn't hosted any World Cup matches. It almost holds 20,000 people and its construction is still a work in progress.

And so is the development of both squads in the First Division. Tijuana is the youngest club with five years of existence. Leon is an old club returning to common territory.

ivan.orozco@sandiegored.com