MEXICO CITY.- With a new venue format that rewards the most consistent teams in each league, the CONCACAF announced on Wednesday the 16 groups that will make up the next edition of the Leagues Cup, the binational club tournament between teams from the MLS and Liga MX.
The next edition of Leagues Cup will be played from July 26 to August 25 on fields in the United States. The venues for all matches will be announced later, CONCACAF said.
The first edition was won by Inter Miami — the club’s first title — immediately after the shocking signing of Argentine star Lionel Messi. They will face Tigres and Puebla in Group 3.
América, current Mexican champion, will have a direct pass to the round of 32 along with the Columbus Crew, winner of the MLS Cup in 2023.
For this edition, unlike the previous one, some Mexican clubs will have a lower travel burden within the United States.
CONCACAF decided to carry out a team classification taking into account the position in the classification in the two tournaments that are held in Mexico and for those in the MLS the points obtained in the Supporters Shields.
With that classification in mind, four Mexican teams will have the privilege of having predetermined venues to play at home in the United States. América, for example, will not leave the city they are designated for until the semifinals, Monterrey until the round of 16, Chivas until the round of 32 and Tigres only in the group stage.
Complaints to CONCACAF:
In the last edition, the leaders, coaches and players of the Liga MX teams complained of disparity with respect to their opponents for having to change venues for each game, while the MLS teams received their games at home.
Monterrey, which is one of the Mexican teams with travel privileges, will face Pumas and Austin FC in Group 1 matches in the West.
Chivas, one of the two most popular teams in Mexico, and which has fewer privileges, will clash in Group 2 of the West with the San José Earthquakes and the LA Galaxy in what could be the reunion of Javier “Chicharito” Hernández against his former teammates.
The León, reigning CONCACAF champion and with Andrés Guardado in its ranks, was in Group 5 of the West and will face the Portland Timbers and the Colorado Rapids.
Cruz Azul, another of the teams with the greatest influence in Mexico, was seeded in Group 4 of the East and will face Philadelphia Union and Charlotte FC.
The best two from each sector advance to the round of 32.
Source: AP
