Fifteen teams down, 32 teams remaining in Leagues Cup ā the first tournament to feature every club from MLS and Liga MX.
And with three Concacaf Champions Cup spots on the line, plus ample amounts of prize money, the matches should only get more intense from here ā which is saying something considering we've already had a walk-off game-winning free kick from the GOAT, a 19-round PK shootoutĀ and plenty of inter-league trash talk.
In the Round of 32 (set for Aug. 2-4), the single-elimination format means it's all on the line with winners moving on and losers going home. The chase for the title on Aug. 19 is heating up.
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It's Lionel Messi. It's Sergio Busquets. It's a Florida Derby pitting Miami, who have developed a distinctly Barcelona twist, against red-hot Orlando, who have lost only twice since early May and just bounced Santos Laguna from the tournament.
Come to watch Oscar Pareja's hungry Orlando team take their best shot at their high-flying neighbors to the south. Stay for a chance to catch the potential debut of former BarƧa left back Jordi Alba (or the Herons' new U22 Initiative signings).
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One of two squads (alongside LAFC) yet to debut in Leagues Cup thanks to group-stage byes, Pachuca get their first taste of the new tournament format at Houston Dynamo FC's blazing-hot Shell Energy Stadium ā a notoriously difficult place to play in the summer.
Head coach Ben Olsen's squad have already posted a 7W-2L-2D at home this season, and a forecast of triple-digit highs all week won't do Pachuca any favors. But Liga MX's 2022 Apertura champions shouldn't be too daunted. With their own home stadium, Estadio Hidalgo, sitting nearly 8,000 feet above sea level, Guillermo Almada's side are no strangers to harsh conditions.
Still, don't be shocked to see a Dynamo midfield led by Mexico national team legend HĆ©ctor Herrera make the game slower than a DJ Screw sample as they work the ball side to side in an attempt to wear their opponents down. How well Pachuca's budding Mexico national team prospect Ćrick SĆ”nchez (recently returned from El Tri's Gold Cup win) and big-money signing David Terans (recently brought in from Brazil SĆ©rie A side Athletico Paranaense) can integrate into the squad may decide the Liga MX team's fate.
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As Pachuca look to prove worthy of their first-round bye in the South region, 2022 MLS Cup Champions LAFC will aim to do the same in the West. Their first test won't be easy, though, as they face an FC JuƔrez side who are much improved in both the young 2023 Apertura (2W-0L-1D) and in Leagues Cup, where they recently eliminated Austin FC 3-1 at Q2 Stadium.
LAFC have been active participants in MLS' summer transfer window, parting ways with productive forward Kwadwo Opoku and welcoming in Mario GonzƔlaz from the Portuguese top flight as well as Bulgarian international midfielder Filip Krastev (on loan), among others. More moves are expected.
Beyond just an opportunity to integrate new pieces, Leagues Cup presents the Black & Gold with a chance at continental silverware and redemption after Steve Cherundolo's side narrowly missed out on the 2023 Concacaf Champions League trophy, falling 3-1 on aggregate to Liga MX's Club LeĆ³n.
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Injuries, transfers, controversial calls ā nothing seems to slow down the Revolution, who have defied expectations all year en route to sitting second in the MLS' Supporters Shield standings heading into the Leagues Cup break. Bolstering their confidence further? Designated Player Giacomo Vrioni seems to be rounding into form.
There's no reason Bruce Arena's side shouldn't be going for it all in this tournament, but Atlas are no pushover. Led by two-time Liga MX Best XI midfielder Aldo Rocha, the 2022 Clausura champions cruised to a first-place finish in East 3 and have yet to concede a goal in the tournament.
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No club came into Leagues Cup hotter than Real Salt Lake, who used a nine-game unbeaten run to vault up to third place in the Western Conference table. Pablo Mastroeni's group kept that form going in the tournament, brushing aside Western Conference powerhouse Seattle Sounders FC 3-0 in their first match.
Then the music stopped: Hosting Monterrey, one of Liga MX's best teams, RSL folded 3-0 at home. The Claret-and-Cobolt will hope that lapse was an aberration and not a trend because things don't get much easier with Club LeĆ³n, recent winners of two continental trophies: 2023 Concacaf Champions League and 2021 Leagues Cup.
But armed with the recent addition of Chicho Arango (recently signed from Liga MX's Pachuca) and the emergence of US U-20 star Diego Luna, RSL shouldn't find themselves at a talent deficit against anyone. They do, however, need to be weary of LeĆ³n winger, Ćngel Mena, who's taken MLS clubs to task of late with goals against LA Galaxy in the group stage and LAFC in the CCL final.
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Can Chicago make it back-to-back games where traditional Liga MX powerhouse Club AmĆ©rica get throttled by an MLS opponent? Frank Klopas & Co. will hope that's the case after watching Columbus drop a 4-1 win on Las Ćguilas to close out group play.
The Fire have plenty of difference-makers to do the job, ranging from veterans Kei Kamara and Xherdan Shaqiri to young homegrown stars Chris Brady and Brian GutiƩrrez. In one of the biggest games in recent club history, the Windy City club will hope to make a serious statement.
