We are closing in to know the last names that will be included in the Round of 16 of this year's Leagues Cup, and it's safe to say that MLS clubs have dominated. Only one team from Liga MX has made it past this stage, but things could take a different turn tonight considering the skills of Mexican teams involved in Friday's matches.
It is important to tell fans reading this article that we will have an extra game being played today, as León and Real Salt Lake had their match postponed. With that in mind, there will be seven fixtures on this day, which will hand out the remaining tickets to the next round, set to start this Sunday.
MLS clubs have already booked two more spots in the next round, as there will be two games featuring American sides this evening. Will Liga MX clubs be able to turn things around and keep their options open for any of their teams to go all the way?
Here are the previews for all seven games being held today.
Chicago Fire vs América
The first game of the evening will feature the Chicago Fire and América, two teams that share a bond on and off the pitch. Some of América's finest players over the years have come to the Fire to finish their careers, including Pavel Pardo and the notable Cuauhtémoc Blanco. Tonight, there will be quite a bit of animosity between these teams, who will lock horns for the first time in a competitive match. The Fire made it to this tie after winning group Central 2, while América were pummeled by Columbus in their second match of the group stage to finish second in group Central 1. The only previous experience between these clubs belongs to coach Frank Klopas, who faced Las Águilas as CF Montreal's boss in the 2014-15 CONCACAF CL final. As you may already know, Klopas drew one and lost the decisive match at home to see América lifting another continental title.
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Tigres UANL vs Vancouver Whitecaps
One of the top teams in Liga MX will be trying to save the league's pride against the Whitecaps, who were defeated by León in their previous game against a Liga MX club in this tournament. Tigres are unbeaten after two games, while Vancouver came from behind to defeat the LA Galaxy in their last group match to earn a spot here. This will be the third clash between these clubs and the first since 2017, when Tigres and the Caps locked horns in the CONCACAF Champions League. That two-legged tie concluded in a 4-1 aggregate for the Mexicans, which included a 2-1 win for Robert Siboldi's men while playing away from home.
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Columbus Crew vs Minnesota United
The first all-MLS fixture of the evening will see the Crew, who won Group Central 1, against Minnesota United, who concluded the group stage as runners-up in group Central 2. There have only been five games between these clubs, with Columbus claiming a slight lead with three wins against MUFC. The only previous match where these teams were involved in a KO stage saw Minnesota claiming a win after penalties, meaning that this game could also go all the way to that scenario.
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Cincinnati vs Nashville
The second game featuring only MLS clubs will see the top team in the league against one of the most consistent teams in the Eastern Conference. Prior to this match, Cincinnati have not lost in their last three games against Nashville, a streak that includes two wins in the ongoing MLS campaign. On the other hand, Nashville enter this game after dropping a two-goal lead in their most recent match, which may hinder their confidence just a bit. This will also give Nashville's boss Gary Smith a chance to earn his first win against his counterpart, Pat Noonan, who has beaten him in two of their three matches.
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Toluca vs Sporting KC
Los Diablos have been quite consistent in this competition, winning their group with a perfect record and proving why they are considered title contenders in this tournament and in Liga MX. This evening, Ignacio Ambriz and his crew face Sporting KC, who eliminated Chivas in group Central 3, and who are yet to lose a game in this tournament after 90 minutes. Surprisingly, the two previous fixtures between these teams ended in wins for Sporting KC back in 2019, but things have changed a lot for Toluca since then and tonight's match could be quite different than those games that ended with a 5-0 aggregate for the Wizards.
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León vs Real Salt Lake
In a game that was supposed to be held on Thursday, but got postponed due to harsh weather conditions, León are bound to show their fans why they were able to go all the way in the 2023 Concacaf CL, and the game against Real Salt Lake will see them in prime position to claim their place as a dominant force in the region. RSL were second in Group West 2, where Monterrey defeated them without even putting a fight. On the other hand, León struggled in their first match but prevailed as group West 3 leaders against Vancouver and Los Angeles Galaxy. León's record against MLS clubs shows only two losses out of nine games, while RSL has only won once against Mexican opponents in nine previous fixtures. Will this be a sign of things to come?
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Monterrey vs Portland Timbers
The team from the North side of Mexico showed its true colors when they came from behind to beat Seattle Sounders in their group and claim the top spot while at it. Now, Rayados get to lock horns with Portland, a team that faced Tigres UANL in the previous round and ended up being defeated despite taking an early lead. This time, Giovani Savarese's men will try not to follow the same path against the Blue and white side, who could also have the highly anticipated debut of Sergio Canales, who was just hired away from Betis and is expected to have a major impact within the team. This will be the first clash between these teams, and given the kind of football both teams display, it could turn into an instant classic.
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