The schedule for the Leagues Cup was announced earlier today! The Philadelphia Union will be playing both of their matches at Subaru Park against Liga MX sides Club Tijuana and Queretaro. The competition is one that used to feature only four clubs from each league, but it recently expanded to include all clubs in the MLS and Liga MX.
What is the Leagues Cup?
The newly expanded Leagues Cup is an annual month-long tournament that includes all 47 clubs in both Major League Soccer and Liga MX. In the 2023 season, the tournament will be taking place from July 21 to August 19. Every team participating will be placed into a three-team group stage, besides the reigning champion of each league, who would be automatically placed into the Round of 32.
For this year’s Leagues Cup, both LAFC and Pachuca would be automatically placed into the Round of 32. Now, each group was seeded through both the club’s record and the region in which they reside. The four regions that each group was decided on were East, South, Central, and West.
When it comes to advancing to the knockout stage, the top two teams in each group will be moving on; the winner of each group hosts the Round of 32 matches. Every match in the knockout stage will be single elimination, so it is either a win or go home for the clubs that advance from the group stages.
Who Will the Union be Playing Against
The Philadelphia Union were placed in the E1 (East 1) bracket, which means that they will be participating against two Liga MX clubs Club Tijuana and Queretaro. These matches will be taking place on July 22nd and July 26th, with both at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania. The final match in the group stage match will also be taking place at Subaru Park, but that match is between Club Tijuana and Queretaro.
If the Union were to advance as the winner from their group, they would play against the second-place finisher in the E2 group, which includes CF Montreal, DC United, and Pumas. If they were to place second in the group, they would be playing the winners from E2.
The first match against Club Tijuana will be available to all season ticket holders, and tickets for all three matches are on sale for purchase right now. But the matches will also be played on the Apple TV MLS Season Pass for those who can not get out to go to Subaru Park.
All in all, the Leagues Cup is going to be an interesting watch for all fans of the sport and is for sure one that will expand the growth of all leagues. Having both the Liga MX and the MLS in one tournament will provide good competition for all the clubs, and will for sure be a good watch on TV!
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