Latest news with #MLSLeaguesCup
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Leagues Cup quarterfinals: Will Messi play? Knockout matchups and bracket
Only eight clubs remain in the 2025 Leagues Cup tournament, featuring clubs from Major League Soccer and Mexico's Liga MX. Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, defending MLS Cup champion L.A. Galaxy, the Seattle Sounders and Orlando City will represent MLS, while Toluca, Pachuca, Tigres UANL and Puebla will represent Liga MX in the knockout stage. The 2025 Leagues Cup quarterfinals schedule has not yet been announced, but will be played on Aug. 19 and 20. Coincidentally, the MLS clubs will meet in regular-season matches before the quarterfinals: Inter Miami will visit Orlando City, and the Sounders will visit the Galaxy on Aug. 10. Then, Inter Miami will host the Galaxy on Aug. 16. Here are the Leagues Cup quarterfinal matchups: Seattle Sounders vs. Puebla The Sounders stormed out to first place in the MLS Leagues Cup table with a 7-0 win against Concacaf Champions Cup winners Cruz Azul in their tournament opener. They also beat Santos Laguna and Club Tijuana to be the only MLS club with three victories in the first phase. Seattle will face Puebla – which beat New York City FC 3-0, lost to Columbus Crew 3-1, and advanced with a 2-1 win against CF Montreal. Inter Miami vs. Tigres UANL Messi missed the majority of the first phase due to a muscle strain. Still, Inter Miami's roster of stars was able to lead them to a 3-1 win against Pumas UNAM to advance. It's unclear when Messi might return, but Inter Miami will face Tigres for the second straight Leagues Cup tournament. Inter Miami lost 2-1 without Messi and Luis Suarez when they met in the 2024 group stage, but both teams advanced to the round of 32. Tigres reached the 2025 quarterfinals, following a 4-1 win against Houston Dynamo and a 2-1 win vs. San Diego FC, despite a 2-1 loss to LAFC in the final phase one match. L.A. Galaxy vs. Pachuca The Galaxy may be the worst team in MLS despite winning MLS Cup last season, but their Leagues Cup run could provide a spark to end 2025. With a 5-2 win against Club Tijuana and 4-0 win against Santos Laguna, the Galaxy will meet Pachuca in the quarterfinals. Pachuca also beat San Diego FC and the Houston Dynamo, while they won a penalty shootout against LAFC to reach the knockout stage. Orlando City vs. Toluca Orlando City exploded with a 3-1 win vs. Atlas and a 5-1 win against Club Necaxa, which included a hat trick by Luis Muriel, to reach the quarterfinals. They'll face Toluca, the first Liga MX club to qualify for the quarterfinals, after a penalty shootout win against Columbus Crew and 2-1 victories against Montreal and NYCFC. 2025 Leagues Cup bracket The Leagues Cup bracket is set so the winner of Inter Miami-Tigres would face the Orlando City-Toluca winner, while the winner of Seattle-Puebla would face the Galaxy-Pachuca winner. Which MLS and Liga MX clubs were eliminated from Leagues Cup? MLS: Atlanta United, Charlotte FC, FC Cincinnati, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, Houston Dynamo FC, LAFC, Minnesota United FC, CF Montréal, New York City FC, New York Red Bulls, Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake, San Diego FC. Liga MX: Club América, Atlas FC, Atlético de San Luis, Chivas de Guadalajara, Club Léon, Cruz Azul, FC Juárez, Mazatlán FC, CF Monterrey, Club Necaxa, Pumas UNAM, Querétaro FC, Santos Laguna, Club Tijuana.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Lionel Messi injury: Inter Miami star will miss Leagues Cup game vs Pumas UNAM
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – Lionel Messi won't play in Inter Miami's Leagues Cup match against Pumas UNAM on Aug. 6, coach Javier Mascherano said a day before the game. Messi, who Inter Miami announced has a minor muscle injury in his upper right leg, did not practice with teammates during their training session before their final Leagues Cup group match. Mascherano did not divulge a timetable for Messi's potential return, but said the club's diagnosis of Messi's injury is 'good news.' 'He's a special player, and he normally recovers from the injuries quickly,' Mascherano said. 'Once he's ready, he'll come back.' Inter Miami has a prime opportunity to advance to the Leagues Cup knockout stage with a win against Pumas. They are in third place on the MLS side of the Leagues Cup table, where the top four clubs from MLS and Liga MX will advance to the quarterfinals. However, they'll have to do so without one of the greatest players of all time. 'This is a competition that brings very good memories for the club,' Mascherano said, referring to Inter Miami's 2023 Leagues Cup title won shortly after Messi's arrival to MLS. 'We'll try to play the best game that we can, and try to win the game.' Watch Leagues Cup matches on MLS Season Pass When is Inter Miami vs. Pumas UNAM in Leagues Cup match? The match is Wednesday, Aug. 6, and begins at 7:30 p.m. ET (8:30 p.m. in Argentina). How to watch Inter Miami vs. Pumas Leagues Cup match? The match is available on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV. Is Messi playing vs. Pumas UNAM? No, Messi is not expected to play against Pumas. What does Inter Miami need to advance in Leagues Cup? The scenario is simple for Inter Miami without Messi: Win vs. Pumas, and they'll advance to the quarterfinals (Aug. 19-20). Inter Miami would be among the Top 4 clubs in the MLS table to reach the knockout stage. Any other result, and Inter Miami would need some help from the LIGA MX sides to beat their MLS counterparts to ensure a top-four finish in the MLS side of the Leagues Cup table. How did Inter Miami get to this point in the Leagues Cup? Inter Miami is third with five points in the MLS Leagues Cup standings, after a 2-1 win vs. Atlas on July 30, and a penalty shootout win vs. Necaxa on Aug. 2. They trail only the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers (six points each). Inter Miami sits above a group of six other MLS clubs with four points in the standings: Minnesota, L.A. Galaxy, Columbus, Orlando City, Cincinnati and New York Red Bulls. Inter Miami upcoming schedule
