2025 Leagues Cup

Discussion in 'MLS: News & Analysis' started by STR1, Jun 27, 2025.

  1. Scribe

    Scribe Member

    Los Angeles Galaxy
    United States
    Mar 26, 2000
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    So if LAG win tomorrow by at least two goals, they win tiebreaker with POR due to more goals scored, correct? Tied on 7 points, both with 2 wins ...
     
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  2. Sounders78

    Sounders78 Member+

    Apr 20, 2009
    France
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    France

    Correct, as far as I can tell. Cincy and the Red Bulls need to win by at least 4 if they want a chance, although if the latter win 4-0, then I think it goes to the fair play tiebreaker with Portland, assuming other results go their way

    Seattle will play either Tigres or Puebla, depending how Juarez does (Juarez cannot finish 4th, given a tie with pk loss would eliminate them due to fewer wins, while a tie with pk win puts them 3rd).
     
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  3. rslfanboy

    rslfanboy Member+

    Jul 24, 2007
    Section 26
    Yeah, GS is tiebreaker #3
    LAG is the only MLS team left with a decent chance of getting in.

    Cincinnati and NYRB have to win by 4goals to tie Portland on GD. Cincinnati would likely go through if they win by 4goals, if LA also doesn’t do better than a 2goal win.

    4-0 exactly for NYRB would push it to tiebreaker #5. Otherwise, they’d jump Portland with any other 4+ goal win. (Not likely, bro!)

    Tiebreakers
    1. Greater numbers of wins in Match regular time;

    2. Greater goal differential between goals scored and goals conceded by the Club;

    3. Greater number of goals scored by the Club;

    4. Fewer number of goals conceded by the Club;

    5. Fewer points in the Team’s Fair Play Table; or

    6. A draw organized by the Organizing Committee.
     
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  4. STR1

    STR1 Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    May 29, 2010
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    NYRB vs Juarez

    NYRB have to win by 4+ goals to advance. No other option for them. Also hope that Cincinnati doesn't win by 4+ goals and LA Galaxy doesn't win by 2+.

    Juarez can get a draw and lose on penalties and they'll eliminate Puebla and move on as 4th place. Draw and win on penalties and they'll move on as 3rd eliminating Puebla and sending Tigres to 4th. Or win and Juarez moves as 1st place.
     
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  5. Sounders78

    Sounders78 Member+

    Apr 20, 2009
    France
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    France

    If Juarez lose on penalties they will be eliminated because they will have fewer wins in regular time than Puebla, which is the first tie breaker. To advance they must win, whether it is in regular time or on penalties.
     
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  6. tigersoccer2005

    tigersoccer2005 Member+

    Dec 1, 2003
    North Bergen, NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #581 tigersoccer2005, Aug 7, 2025
    Last edited: Aug 7, 2025
    Good Morning! So here are tonight's games:

    Red Hot: Red Bull vs Juarez--both these teams are still alive in their respective tables and should be fighting tooth and nail to qualify. I expect a very tense, close, and physical match up. Juarez has the better chance--not only have they been playing better (in my opinion as a longsuffering Red Bull fan) but their route to qualification si also easier: if they win either in regulation or in PK's they're in. Red Bull have to win outright (no pk's) and score several goals to qualify. They have to score 4 to 5 goals tonight while not receiving any.

    MLS teams looking to get in: Cincy vs Chivas and LA Galaxy vs Santos Laguna. The Liga MX teams in these matches have already been eliminated. Both Cincy and the Galaxy have to use their opponents tonight as punching bags in order to get in.

    Dud Matches: Both teams in these matches are eliminated with nothing to play for tonight except pride: Cruz Azul-Colorado; Monterrey- Charlotte.

    MLS Top 4: Seattle and Miami have already clinched. Orlando is currently in 3rd place at 7 pts, +6; Portland is currently in 4th place at 7 pts, +5.

    * LA Galaxy is at 4 pts, +3
    *Cincy is at 4 pts, +1
    * Red Bull is at 4 pts, +1

    All the MLS contenders tonight have to win in regulation for 3 pts and score several goals if they want to get in. Galaxy have to score 2 to 3 goals and not receive any. Cincy and Red Bull have to score 4 to 5 goals tonight and not receive any.

    Liga MX Top 4: Toluca, Pachuca and Tigres have all clinched. Puebla is currently in 4th place at 6 pts, +2

    * Juarez is at 5 pts, +3

    An outright win by Juarez will give them 3 pts and knock Puebla out. A win by PK would result in 2 points and also get them in and knock Puebla out. In other words Juarez controls their own destiny. Win and they're in.

    TIEBREAKERS
    1) Regulation Time Wins
    2) Goal Difference
    3) Goals Scored
    4) Goals Conceded
    5) Fair Play
    6) Draw by the Officials
     
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  7. mbar

    mbar Member+

    Apr 30, 1999
    Los Angeles, CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That’s a good tie breaker imho. Two wins and a loss should be better than a win and two draws(and one pk win).
     
  8. AZUL GALAXY

    AZUL GALAXY Member+

    Aug 28, 2009
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    CDSC Cruz Azul
    Leagues Cup Attendance day 8

    112,937 on 7 matches
    Average = 16,134

    So far after 46 events

    Total. = 760,445
    Average = 16,531
     
  9. AeroNaught

    AeroNaught Member+

    Atlanta United
    Feb 14, 2007
    Birmingham, AL
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I mean I like this tournament, I just feel like it may be losing some steam (especially when the traditional Mexican powerhouses don't do well); might be too late for a revision, but next year with the World Cup maybe a revised Campeones Cup would be better...winner of the Apertura/Clausura against the MLS Cup champs and Supporter's Shield winners or something.

    I also think Garber was hinting at the All Star game going back to being a single team, so that might help with the oversaturation/fatigue effect of LigaMX v MLS.
     
  10. wantmlsphilly

    wantmlsphilly Member+

    Aug 2, 2006
    Philadelphia, Pa.
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm not a fan of this years layout for Leagues Cup. The desire to have Liga MX vs. MLS games only has created to many meaningless games. LAFC win their second game in penalties and played their second team against Tigres and win out right but have no shot at taking that momentum into the next round. Meanwhile Tigres will most likely move on. The beauty of last years layout was it created two meaningful games. Most of tonight's games will be nothing more than friendly matches, ironically what they were trying to eliminate with this tournament.
    .
    Tonight's games won't be about beating the team you're playing but scoring enough goals to get into the next round. When Scoreboard watching is all you have left on the last day based on goals and not the outcome of the match, it's not really about the game you're playing for one team. I can't see this going forward in the future.
     
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  11. AZUL GALAXY

    AZUL GALAXY Member+

    Aug 28, 2009
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    CDSC Cruz Azul
    For the next tournament they need to qualify 8 teams per league to make it more meaningful.
     
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  12. ArsenalMetro

    ArsenalMetro Member+

    United States
    Aug 5, 2008
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Not to be too harsh, but why even bother with that? We already have a Champions League that has all of those teams in it. A one-off game that’s essentially a friendly is a waste of time.

    Three years into Leagues Cup (as a serious venture) and I’m still entirely unconvinced that it serves any purpose besides being a cheap novelty. This version is the best one because it doesn’t take up such a huge block of the calendar, but there’s still no reason for it to exist.
     
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  13. ArsenalMetro

    ArsenalMetro Member+

    United States
    Aug 5, 2008
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Just make it a 32-team knockout tournament at that point.
     
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  14. AZUL GALAXY

    AZUL GALAXY Member+

    Aug 28, 2009
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    CDSC Cruz Azul
    This tournament has more parity than CCC and is an opportunity for teams of both leagues that normally don’t qualify to CCC to play against teams from other countries, CCC is relevant until MLS teams play LIGA MX teams.
     
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  15. ArsenalMetro

    ArsenalMetro Member+

    United States
    Aug 5, 2008
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    That description basically applies to 4 teams in each league. Everyone else has been in CCL at one point or another, and with 16 teams qualifying from those leagues each season, enough teams get a shot at continental play that I don't think anyone is shedding many tears for the teams that can't make it.

    Like, is the purpose of this tournament really to see Juarez play Chicago? If it is, that's a terrible reason to exist.
     
  16. AZUL GALAXY

    AZUL GALAXY Member+

    Aug 28, 2009
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    CDSC Cruz Azul
    But not every year, this tournament gives the opportunity to compete out of your comfort zone and grow your brand.
     
  17. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The CCC would have to match the Leagues Cup in total revenue for MLS and LMX, prize money for each participating club and player compensation.

    It's made moves in that direction. I believe Seattle won $500,000 winning the CCL in 2023 but Cruz Azul made $5 million for winning it this season.

    But players currently get about half as much for participating in CCC as they do in Leagues Cup.

    You'd also have to consider what to do with the Central American and Caribbean Cups which are feeders into the CCC.

    I think I have the solution. Elect the Don as the head of CONCACAF.
     
  18. STR1

    STR1 Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    May 29, 2010
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    They want to maximize the MLS vs Liga MX matchups. A KO tournament could have more MLS or more Liga MX teams defeating their purpose. It's what happened with the previous format where there were more MLS than Liga MX teams.
     
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  19. STR1

    STR1 Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    May 29, 2010
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Elect an MLS puppet or better yet Liga MX puppet as the head of CONCACAF and change all of this, I agree. Then Liga MX and MLS can start pushing for Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana. Reduce the CONCACAF tournament to a Conference League type-level tournament in the Americas giving majority of spots to Central America, CPL and the Caribbean while having only 1 participant from each of the 10 CONMEBOL leagues plus 1 from MLS and 1 from Liga MX. Easier said than done.
     
  20. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    By a MLS puppet, you mean the exec that led MLS from the verge of bankruptcy to a $15 billion business.

    Imagine if he could do that for CONCACAF.
     
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  21. STR1

    STR1 Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    May 29, 2010
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    No. I mean a puppet, someone that MLS can control and benefit them in CONCACAF ala Montagliani right now. You are going off on a different crusade.
     
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  22. jaykoz3

    jaykoz3 Member+

    Dec 25, 2010
    Conshohocken, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Only if Conmebol wants to play ball...... and by play ball I mean only if they get the majority of the ca$h increase that might be possible.

    Also this is a pipe dream. Each member nation gets a vote in Concacaf's elections. The Caribbean and Central American federations aren't going to vote to give control of the region to Mexico or the US.
     
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  23. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You think Montagliani is a MLS puppet?
     
  24. Elninho

    Elninho Member+

    Sacramento Republic FC
    United States
    Oct 30, 2000
    Sacramento, CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    So far, teams in the same situation as NYRB have chosen to play their reserves rather than go all-out to run up the score. Which isn't to say they didn't try to win the games. LAFC's second string managed to pull out a win and Tijuana's second string scored first against Seattle. But it was clear from their lineups that they had thrown in the towel on advancing to the knockout stage.
     
  25. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I still think this tournament has value, but not as an every-season thing. Or at least, not in a large format every season. Do it every 4 years in the non-World/Gold Cup summer, involve every team, and go all out on promotion, leagues stopped etc. Make it a big deal that happens every 4 years. Then if you want to have a smaller tournament every year involving the top 4 from each league or something, fine.
     

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