The fog has cleared, and the dust has been lifted. The knockout round for the Leagues Cup is here. Through a chaotic couple of matches, 32 clubs remain – 9 MLS teams and 4 La Liga.
Take a look at how the teams are faring:
Central
In Central, Puebla, Colorado, and Guadalajara all hold on with one loss apiece. St Louis is the only MLS team to be knocked out, suffering stunning defeats against América and Columbus. Attempts were made by Jared Stroud and Eduard Lowen, but St. Louis' chances in the Leagues Cup will have to subside for another year. Cincinnati boasted a 3-point match yesterday, with Brandon Vasquez sinking 3 nets by himself (a hat trick!). A tightwire game between Nashville and Toluca, complete with 2 goals from Marcel Ruiz and a stellar performance by Robert Morales, left the game with one point in Toluca’s favor. Chicago also served Minnesota their first loss, albeit a great effort by Bongokuhle Hlongwane. However, in familiar Kei Kamara fashion, his goal (and Xherdan Shaqiri’s) won the game for the Fire.
East
Philadelphia reigns supreme in the East, holding two wins with a six-point spread in the last two matches. Philadelphia almost broke away with a clean score sheet, holding a 5-1 lead over Queretaro. DC United could compete with Philadelphia, as could New England, to top the East. However, there is still the unbudging question of Atlas and their fresh win. The rest of the East will have to answer that question.
West
The West’s Los Angeles Galaxy was dethroned by Club León, 0-1. There are only three groups for the West, and Liga teams hold them down: Monterrey, León, and the Tigres are in the lead for the next phase with a ‘W’ stamp. The MLS teams, however, struggle and drag behind.
South
Houston flies from a string lifted by a hot air balloon – two draws protect them from being eliminated. Dallas FC clutched a dramatic win against Necaxa, netting three goals with Lletget (also with an assist), Ansah, and Ferreira. Messi-era Inter Miami leads the South with two wins and six points. Tomorrow is the South’s game day, except for DC and the Pumas. Only three teams have a win in the matchup (so far): Charlotte, Orlando, and DC.
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