Category: Leagues Cup

Club America vs. Colorado Rapids: How to watch Leagues Cup, TV channel, live stream

The defending Liga MX champions are one of just two Mexican sides remaining in the competition

Club América and the Colorado Rapids are set for an inter-league matchup on Saturday in the Leagues Cup quarterfinal.

It’s been a disastrous Leagues Cup for Liga MX, which has placed just two teams in the quarterfinal. But with back-to-back league champion América one of them, the Mexican top flight still has a solid chance of taking home the title.

Along with the Columbus Crew, América was one of just two teams who didn’t participate in the group stage and earned a bye directly to the knockout stage.

The Liga MX champion defeated Atlas 2-1 in the round of 32, before getting past St. Louis City 4-2 in the round of 16 on Tuesday night.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Club América vs. Colorado Rapids” link=”https://apple.co/4fJ1Gci”]

The Rapids, meanwhile, have already beat two Liga MX teams in the knockout stage, getting past Juárez 3-2 in the round of 32 before defeating Toluca 2-1 in the round of 16.

The winner of this tie will face the winner of Seattle Sounders-LAFC in the semifinal.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the game.

Club America vs. Colorado Rapids (Leagues Cup quarterfinal)

  • When: Saturday, August 17
  • Where: Dignity Health Sports Park (Carson, CA)
  • Time: 10 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (WATCH LIVE), Univision, TUDN

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France legend Giroud makes LAFC debut in Leagues Cup win

The veteran forward came on as a second-half substitute in an easy win

Olivier Giroud made his LAFC debut on Tuesday night as the club defeated the San Jose Earthquakes in the Leagues Cup round of 16.

Giroud came on 71 minutes into the match at BMO Stadium, with the home fans giving the France striker a huge ovation upon his entrance.

LAFC was up 4-1 at the time of Giroud’s entrance, which would end up as the final score.

“I was looking forward to playing on this pitch in front of this amazing crowd, my family and friends also,” Giroud said after the game.

“I received a warm welcome from everyone at the club, the staff and the players, everyone is working as a club. I felt like I was welcomed like a part of the family. I wish I could play even more than tonight, but obviously it’s better to restart step by step and I’m looking forward to the next game.”

The 37-year-old signed for LAFC in May, but wasn’t eligible to play for the MLS club until the transfer window opened in July.

In the meantime, Giroud made four appearances for France at Euro 2024, with the nation’s all-time leading men’s scorer calling time on his international career after his country’s run ended in the semifinal.

Next up for LAFC is a Leagues Cup quarterfinal at the Seattle Sounders on Saturday night. The winner will face either Club América or the Colorado Rapids in the semifinals.

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Club America vs. St. Louis City: How to watch Leagues Cup, TV channel, live stream

It’s a MLS vs. Liga MX clash in the last 16 of the competition

Club América and St. Louis City are set for an inter-league matchup on Tuesday in the Leagues Cup round of 16.

Along with the Columbus Crew, América was one of just two teams who didn’t participate in the group stage and earned a bye directly to the knockout stage.

The Liga MX champion kicked off the competition on Friday with a 2-1 win over Atlas in San Diego, as Érick Sánchez and Henry Martín scored the goals.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Club América vs. St. Louis City” link=”https://apple.co/4dCMo79″]

Now América will travel north to Carson, where it will face MLS outfit St. Louis in another “home” game in the competition that takes place entirely in the United States.

St. Louis reached the last 16 with a 3-1 win over the Portland Timbers in the round of 16, with Cedric Teuchert, Marcel Hartel and Simon Becher all scoring in the second half.

The winner of this tie will face the winner of Toluca-Colorado Rapids in the quarterfinal.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the game.

Club America vs. St. Louis City (Leagues Cup round of 16)

  • When: Tuesday, August 13
  • Where: Dignity Health Sports Park (Carson, CA)
  • Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (WATCH LIVE), TUDN

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Club America vs. Atlas: How to watch Leagues Cup, TV channel, live stream

The two Liga MX sides face off as the competition enters the knockout phase

The 2024 Leagues Cup has reached the knockout stage, with Club América set to face Liga MX rival Atlas in the last 32 on Friday night.

Along with the Columbus Crew, América is one of just two teams who didn’t participate in the group stage and instead were given a bye directly to the knockout stage.

With no league games on the calendar, América recently played a pair of friendlies against Premier League sides in the United States. André Jardine’s side lost 3-0 to Chelsea before defeating Aston Villa 1-0.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Club América vs. Atlas” link=”https://apple.co/4dqSM1m”]

Atlas, meanwhile, is coming off a 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake, but still advanced thanks to a 1-0 win over the Houston Dynamo to kick off the competition.

The winner of this tie will face the winner of St. Louis City-Portland Timbers in the round of 16.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the game.

Club America vs. Atlas (Leagues Cup round of 32)

  • When: Friday, August 9
  • Where: Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego, CA)
  • Time: 10 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (WATCH LIVE), TUDN

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Club America USA tour 2024: Schedule, tickets, stadiums and more

The Liga MX power will be spending plenty of time in the United States this summer.

Club América will be spending plenty of time in the United States this summer.

Las Águilas are set to take in two different competitions on U.S. soil, as well as two friendlies against Premier League sides amid a busy fixture list.

The Liga MX power will start with a Campeón de Campeones match, in which the winner of the Apertura season faces the winner of the Clausura season.

Next will be a pair of friendlies, with Chelsea and then Aston Villa on the agenda. After that, América will enter the 2024 Leagues Cup along with every other team in Liga MX and every MLS team.

As the defending Liga MX champion, América will not participate in the group stage and has been given a bye into the round of 32. Should the club have success, it could play up to five matches in the Leagues Cup.

Here are Club América’s fixtures for its 2024 summer tour of the United States, along with information on purchasing tickets.

Club America USA tour 2024

July 30: Club América vs. TBD — Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, CA.

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July 31: Club América vs. Chelsea — Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA.

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August 3: Club América vs. Aston Villa — Soldier Field, Chicago, IL.

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August 9: Club América vs. TBD — Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, CA.

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Leagues Cup announces home venue pool for Liga MX sides, knockout stages

13 stadiums could end up serving as temporary home venues for Liga MX sides during this summer’s edition of the Leagues Cup

If you want to see some of Liga MX’s giants during the 2024 Leagues Cup, the list of potential home venues is coming into focus.

The pool of potential “hub” stadiums for Club América, Monterrey, Chivas, and Tigres, as well as any knockout round match between the other 13 Liga MX clubs in the tournament, was announced on Wednesday.

13 stadiums, all in the United States, could potentially see a Liga MX side serve as temporary hosts in the Leagues Cup, which will run from July 26 to August 5.

While the home venues for América, Monterrey, Chivas, and Tigres have not yet been confirmed, a previous announcement on tournament modifications at least denotes the stage at which the quartet can host knockout matches.

Should Chivas advance from Group West 2, the Guadalajara-based club will serve as the round-of-32 host if its point haul is superior to its opponent. Monterrey will get the same status in the round of 16, while América — who along with the Columbus Crew have been granted a bye directly to the knockout round — will have hosting privileges through to at least the semifinals.

Leagues Cup hub stadium pool

  • Audi Field (Washington, D.C.)
  • BMO Stadium (Los Angeles, Calif.)
  • Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (Commerce City, Colo.)
  • Dignity Health Sports Park (Carson, Calif.)
  • Geodis Park (Nashville, Tenn.)
  • Paypal Park (San Jose, Calif.)
  • Q2 Stadium (Austin, Texas)
  • Red Bull Arena (Harrison, N.J.)
  • Shell Energy Stadium (Houston, Texas)
  • Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego, Calif.)
  • Subaru Park (Chester, Pa.)
  • Toyota Stadium (Frisco, Texas)
  • TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, Ohio)

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Leagues Cup 2023: Standings, teams, schedule, TV and streaming

Your complete guide to the 2023 Leagues Cup

The first-ever Leagues Cup will see MLS and Liga MX clubs halt league play for a month-long tournament across the U.S. and Canada in July and August.

The tournament begins on July 21, with 15 three-team groups based on geography featuring a mix of teams from both leagues. Each group will feature round-robin play, with the top two finishers advancing to a knockout stage featuring one-off matches running through to a final on August 19.

The champion of the Leagues Cup will secure a place in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup round of 16, while the losing finalist and the third-place game winner will also gain a place in the CCC’s first round.

The entire Leagues Cup will take place in the United States or in Canada, with matches between Liga MX sides picked based on geography in the group stage and at neutral sites in the knockout round.

While standard rules will be in place for games that end with a winner and a loser (three points for the victors, none for their opponent), the Leagues Cup will discard draws. Games that are tied at full time will proceed to a penalty kick tiebreaker, with the winner of that shootout receiving two points while the loser gets one.

All matches will air on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app, while select games are on Televisa, Univision, FOX Sports, TSN and RDS.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch the Leagues Cup on Apple TV” link=”https://apple.co/3XX06t5″]

Here is the 2023 Leagues Cup schedule.

West One

Team W PW PL L GF GA GD Points
Tigres 2 0 0 0 3 1 +2 6
Portland Timbers 1 0 0 1 3 2 +1 3
San Jose Earthquakes 0 0 0 2 0 3 -3 0

West One schedule

Sat, July 22: Portland Timbers 2-0 San Jose Earthquakes
Wed, July 26: Portland Timbers 1-2 Tigres
Sun, July 30: San Jose Earthquakes 0-1 Tigres

(Home teams listed first. All times Eastern)

West Two

Team W PW PL L GF GA GD Points
CF Monterrey 2 0 0 0 7 2 +5 6
Real Salt Lake 1 0 0 1 3 3 0 3
Seattle Sounders 0 0 0 2 2 7 -5 0

West Two schedule

Sat, July 22: Real Salt Lake 3-0 Seattle Sounders
Wed, July 26: Real Salt Lake 0-3 CF Monterrey
Sun, July 30: Seattle Sounders 2-4 CF Monterrey

(Home teams listed first. All times Eastern)

West Three

Team W PW PL L GF GA GD Points
Club Léon 1 1 0 0 3 2 +1 5
Vancouver Whitecaps 1 0 1 0 4 3 +1 4
LA Galaxy 0 0 0 1 0 1 -1 0

West Three schedule

Fri, July 21: Vancouver Whitecaps 2-2 Club Léon (Club Léon wins 16-15 on penalty kicks)
Wed, July 26: LA Galaxy 0-1 Club Léon
Sun, July 30: LA Galaxy 1-2 Vancouver Whitecaps

(Home teams listed first. All times Eastern)

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch the Leagues Cup on Apple TV” link=”https://apple.co/3XX06t5″]

Central One

Team W PW PL L GF GA GD Points
Columbus Crew 2 0 0 0 6 2 +4 6
Club América 1 0 0 1 5 4 +1 3
St. Louis City SC 0 0 0 2 1 6 -5 0

Central One schedule

Sun, July 23: Columbus Crew 2-1 St. Louis City SC
Thu, July 27: St. Louis City SC 0-4 Club América
Mon, July 31: Columbus Crew 4-1 Club América

(Home teams listed first. All times Eastern)

Central Two

Team W PW PL L GF GA GD Points
Chicago Fire 1 0 1 0 4 3 +1 4
Minnesota United 1 0 0 1 6 3 +3 3
Puebla 0 1 0 1 1 5 -4 2

Central Two schedule

Sun, July 23: Minnesota United 4-0 Puebla
Thu, July 27: Minnesota United 2-3 Chicago Fire
Mon, July 31: Chicago Fire 1-1 Puebla (Puebla wins 10-9 on penalty kicks)

(Home teams listed first. All times Eastern)

Central Three

Team W PW PL L GF GA GD Points
FC Cincinnati 1 1 0 0 6 4 +2 5
Sporting Kansas City 1 0 1 0 4 3 +1 4
Chivas 0 0 0 2 1 4 -3 0

Central Three schedule

Sun, July 23: FC Cincinnati 3-3 Sporting Kansas City (FC Cincinnati wins 4-2 on penalty kicks)
Thu, July 27: FC Cincinnati 3-1 Chivas
Mon, July 31: Sporting Kansas City 1-0 Chivas

(Home teams listed first. All times Eastern)

Central Four

Team W PW PL L GF GA GD Points
Toluca 2 0 0 0 8 4 +4 6
Nashville SC 1 0 0 1 5 5 0 3
Colorado Rapids 0 0 0 2 2 6 -4 0

Central Four schedule

Sun, July 23: Nashville SC 2-1 Colorado Rapids
Thu, July 27: Nashville SC 3-4 Toluca
Mon, July 31: Colorado Rapids 1-4 Toluca

(Home teams listed first. All times Eastern)

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch the Leagues Cup on Apple TV” link=”https://apple.co/3XX06t5″]

South One

Team W PW PL L GF GA GD Points
Mazatlán FC 1 1 0 0 4 2 +2 5
FC Juárez 1 0 1 0 4 2 +2 4
Austin FC 0 0 0 2 2 6 -4 0

South One schedule

Fri, July 21: Austin FC 1-3 Mazatlán FC
Tue, July 25: Mazatlán FC 1-1 FC Juárez (Mazatlán FC wins 4-2 on penalty kicks)
Sat, July 29: Austin FC 1-3 FC Juárez

(Home teams listed first. All times Eastern)

South Two

Team W PW PL L GF GA GD Points
Orlando City 1 1 0 0 4 3 +1 5
Houston Dynamo 0 1 1 0 3 3 0 3
Santos Laguna 0 0 1 1 4 5 -1 1

South Two schedule

Fri, July 21: Orlando City 1-1 Houston Dynamo (Orlando City wins 5-4 on penalty kicks)
Tue, July 25: Houston Dynamo 2-2 Santos Laguna (Houston Dynamo wins 5-4 on penalty kicks)
Sat, July 29: Orlando City 3-2 Santos Laguna

(Home teams listed first. All times Eastern)

South Three

Team W PW PL L GF GA GD Points
Inter Miami 2 0 0 0 6 1 +5 6
Cruz Azul 0 1 0 1 2 3 -1 2
Atlanta United 0 0 1 1 1 5 -4 1

South Three schedule

Fri, July 21: Inter Miami 2-1 Cruz Azul
Tue, July 25: Inter Miami 4-0 Atlanta United
Sat, July 29: Atlanta United 1-1 Cruz Azul (Cruz Azul wins 5-4 on penalty kicks)

(Home teams listed first. All times Eastern)

South Four

Team W PW PL L GF GA GD Points
Charlotte FC 1 1 0 0 6 3 +3 5
FC Dallas 1 0 1 0 5 2 +3 4
Necaxa 0 0 0 2 1 7 -6 0

South Four schedule

Fri, July 21: FC Dallas 2-2 Charlotte FC (Charlotte FC wins 4-1 on penalty kicks)
Tue, July 25: FC Dallas 3-0 Necaxa
Sat, July 29: Charlotte FC 4-1 Necaxa

(Home teams listed first. All times Eastern)

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch the Leagues Cup on Apple TV” link=”https://apple.co/3XX06t5″]

East One

Team W PW PL L GF GA GD Points
Philadelphia Union 2 0 0 0 8 2 +6 6
Querétaro 1 0 0 1 2 5 -3 3
Tijuana 0 0 0 2 1 4 -3 0

East One schedule

Sat, July 22: Philadelphia Union 3-1 Tijuana
Wed, July 26: Philadelphia Union 5-1 Querétaro
Sun, July 30: Tijuana 0-1 Querétaro

(Home teams listed first. All times Eastern)

East Two

Team W PW PL L GF GA GD Points
Pumas UNAM 1 0 1 0 5 2 +3 4
D.C. United 1 0 0 1 1 3 -2 3
CF Montréal 0 1 0 1 2 3 -1 2

East Two schedule

Sat, July 22: CF Montréal 2-2 Pumas UNAM (CF Montréal wins 4-2 on penalty kicks)
Wed, July 26: CF Montréal 0-1 D.C. United
Sat, July 29: D.C. United 0-3 Pumas UNAM

(Home teams listed first. All times Eastern)

East Three

Team W PW PL L GF GA GD Points
Atlas 2 0 0 0 2 0 +2 6
New York City FC 1 0 0 1 5 1 +4 3
Toronto FC 0 0 0 2 0 6 -6 0

East Three schedule

Sun July 23: New York City FC 0-1 Atlas
Wed, July 26: New York City FC 5-0 Toronto FC
Sun, July 30: Toronto FC 0-1 Atlas

(Home teams listed first. All times Eastern)

East Four

Team W PW PL L GF GA GD Points
New York Red Bulls 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 5
New England Revolution 1 0 1 0 5 1 +4 4
Atlético San Luis 0 0 0 2 2 7 -5 0

East Four schedule

Sat, July 22: New York Red Bulls 0-0 New England Revolution (New York Red Bulls win 4-2 on penalty kicks)
Wed, July 26: New England Revolution 5-1 Atlético San Luis
Sun, July 30: New York Red Bulls 2-1 Atlético San Luis

(Home teams listed first. All times Eastern)

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch the Leagues Cup on Apple TV” link=”https://apple.co/3XX06t5″]

Knockout rounds

Round of 32

Wednesday, August 2, 2023  Inter Miami 3-1 Orlando CityDRV PNK Stadium – Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Mazatlán FC 1-2 FC Dallas Toyota Stadium – Frisco, TX

CF Pachuca 0-0 Houston Dynamo (Houston Dynamo advance 5-3 on penalties)Shell Energy Stadium – Houston, TX

LAFC 7-1 FC Juárez BMO Stadium – Los Angeles, CA

Thursday, August 3, 2023 Atlas FC 2-2 New England Revolution (New England Revolution advance 8-7 on penalty kicks)Gillette Stadium – Foxborough, MA

Philadelphia Union 0-0 D.C. United (Philadelphia Union advance 5-4 on penalty kicks)Subaru Park – Chester, PA

Pumas UNAM 0-1 Querétaro Audi Field – Washington, DC

New York Red Bulls 1-0 NYCFC Red Bull Arena – Harrison, NJ

Charlotte FC 0-0 Cruz Azul (Charlotte FC advance 4-3 on penalty kicks)Toyota Stadium – Frisco, TX

Friday, August 4, 2023  Columbus Crew 3-3 Minnesota United (Minnesota United advance 4-3 on penalty kicks)Lower.com Field – Columbus, OH

FC Cincinnati 1-1 Nashville SC (Nashville SC advance 5-4 on penalty kicks)TQL Stadium – Cincinnati, OH

Chicago Fire 0-1 Club AméricaSeatGeek Stadium – Bridgeview, IL

Toluca 4-1 Sporting Kansas City Children’s Mercy Park – Kansas City, KS

CF Monterrey 1-0 Portland Timbers Providence Park – Portland, OR

Club León 1-3 Real Salt Lake America First Field – Sandy, UT

Tigres 1-1 Vancouver Whitecaps (Tigres advance 5-3 on penalties)BC Place – Vancouver, Canada

Round of 16

Sunday, August 6, 2023  

FC Dallas 4-4 Inter Miami FC (Inter Miami advance 5-3 on penalties)Toyota Stadium – Frisco, TX

Monday, August 7, 2023 

Queretaro 1-1 New England Revolution (Queretaro advance 4-3 on penalties)Gillette Stadium – Foxborough, MA

Charlotte FC 2-1 Houston Dynamo FC Shell Energy Stadium – Houston, TX

Tuesday, August 8, 2023  

Club América 2-2 Nashville SC (Nashville SC advance 6-5 on penalty kicks)GEODIS Park – Nashville, TN

Philadelphia Union 1-1 New York Red Bulls (Philadelphia Union advance 4-3 on penalty kicks)Subaru Park – Chester, PAToluca 2-2 Minnesota United (Minnesota United advance 4-2 on penalty kicks)Allianz Field – St. Paul, MN

Tigres 0-1 CF Monterrey Shell Energy Stadium – Houston, TX

LAFC 4-0 Real Salt Lake BMO Stadium – Los Angeles, CA

Quarterfinals

Friday, August 11, 2023

Philadelphia Union 2-1 Quéretaro Subaru Park – Chester, PA

Inter Miami FC 4-0 Charlotte FC  DRV PNK Stadium – Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Nashville SC 5-0 Minnesota United GEODIS Park – Nashville, TN

LAFC 2-3 CF Monterrey Rose Bowl – Pasadena, CA

Semifinals

Tuesday, August 15Philadelphia Union 1-4 Inter Miami CFSubaru Park – Chester, PACF Monterrey 0-2 Nashville SCGeodis Park – Nashville, TN

Third-place game

Saturday, August 19

Philadelphia Union 3-0 CF MonterreySubaru Park – Chester, PA

Final

Saturday, August 19

Nashville SC 1-1 Inter Miami (Inter Miami win 10-9 on penalty kicks)Geodis Park – Nashville, TN

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch the Leagues Cup on Apple TV” link=”https://apple.co/3XX06t5″]

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Messi, Inter Miami claim Leagues Cup trophy over Nashville SC

Messi wins a trophy? You don’t say!

Inter Miami without Lionel Messi? Cellar dwellers.

With Messi? Unbeaten in seven, and now Leagues Cup champions.

Messi and Miami claimed the club’s first-ever trophy, defeating Nashville SC on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw at Geodis Park. Messi scored, as is seemingly a thing that will happen in every appearance he makes for the Herons, but a gritty Nashville side showed there is a way to hang in there against a star-studded Miami side.

Every team that has tried to solve the problem that is Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba has taken a different tack.

Nashville’s approach? Gary Smith choosing a pair of defensive midfielders and the two hardest-working pressing wingers on the roster pointed to a more conservative approach, but Nashville opted for a mid-block with some bouts of high pressing as opposed to a pure park-the-bus approach.

Miami had scored in the 12th minute or earlier in each of Messi’s first five starts, but Nashville’s approach kept the Herons from so much as a single shot attempt until Robert Taylor tested Elliot Panicco — something of a surprise starter in goal — in the 21st minute.

Unfortunately for the hosts, even the best approach can be undone because Messi is Messi. He’ll score the kinds of goals that he alone can score.

Cue the highlight!

However, despite the wizardy, Nashville’s plans were largely working: Miami had plenty of the ball, but walked in at halftime with just two shots.

Nashville needed more than that, though, and ended up looking to its own favorite trick for a goal: a scrappy set piece amid a mosh pit inside the box. Fafà Picault would end up getting the final touch.

Messi nearly produced another wondergoal in the 70th minute, bursting away from Dax McCarty to uncork a long-range rocket that slapped off Panicco’s left post.

Nashville’s big names aren’t, you know, Messi or Sergio Busquets, but they’re still major threats. Seven minutes after Messi’s threat, Hany Mukhtar and new addition Sam Surridge carved out a two-on-two counter against Miami. Surridge saw his low shot saved well by Callender, while Mukhtar’s follow-up was deflected inches wide.

If anything, Messi’s shot off the woodwork seemed to be Miami’s last push for goal, as heavy legs on an aging side that had seen little rotation gave Nashville an opening. Mukhtar and Surridge both forced Callender into reflex saves as the hosts smelled an opening for a winner.

However, that set the stage for an unreal sequence for the game’s final kick: Busquets caught Nashville throwing numbers forward, playing substitute Leo Campana in alone.

Campana dinked the ball over Panicco, whose follow-through took out the retreating Shaq Moore. Surely, this was it.

Well…

Leagues Cup matches go straight to penalties if tied at full time, meaning that what followed that bizarre sequence was a coin toss. Messi and Busquets converted, and while Mukhtar did the same for Nashville, Randall Leal had his effort in the second round kicked away by Callender.

Miami was one kick away in the fifth round, but Victor Ulloa was denied by Panicco, and Surridge kept Nashville alive.

On into the night it went. 12 straight players stepped up, and 12 straight finished clinically. Callender, in round 11, put his spot kick into the roof of the net, a shot a striker would be proud of.

Just seconds later, the 25-year-old offered one better, saving Panicco’s shot and giving Miami its first-ever trophy, and Messi his 44th.

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Messi does the most predictable thing in the world: score a Leagues Cup final golazo

Messi cannot be stopped

Lionel Messi cannot be stopped by man.

Teams in Spain and France learned this the hard way, as did Champions League contenders, CONMEBOL national teams, and an entire World Cup field in 2022. Everyone wants to stop the guy, everyone fails, it’s just how soccer works when he’s playing it.

So naturally the Leagues Cup final saw Messi and Inter Miami facing down a Nashville SC side that has been the preeminent defensive team in MLS for several years in a row. A loud crowd at Geodis Park was roaring more for the home team than for Messi. The hosts kept Miami from even one sight of goal in the first 20 minutes. It was going well!

Was.

One loose ball after a block in the Nashville area bounced closer to Messi than anyone else in the game. Messi had five Nashville defenders forming a barrier. Walker Zimmerman was stepping hard to him, a collision that — given their size disparity — would end in something other than Messi taking a shot.

But this is Messi, and the result was a goal that had everyone watching the game talking.

Inter Miami would go on to lift the Leagues Cup trophy, defeating Nashville on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC: How to watch Messi in Leagues Cup final

Can Messi pull it off in the final?

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami’s magical Leagues Cup run has reached its final turn. Can he mark the occasion once again?

Messi, joined by former Barcelona-turned-Miami teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, have reached the Leagues Cup final. Awaiting Miami is Nashville SC.

Since the trio’s arrival, Inter Miami has become a powerhouse. The team scored 22 times in 22 MLS matches prior to Messi joining. They have 21 in Messi’s six games played thus far, with the Argentine legend scoring nine himself.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Inter Miami vs Nashville SC on Apple TV” link=”https://apple.co/3OIMOOh”]

But Nashville has also been rejuvenated of late.

Former Premier League striker Sam Surridge has netted three goals in three games since joining the club. Surridge and MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar will be a formidable test for the upstart Miami side.

Here is everything you need to know to catch all the action:

Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC (Leagues Cup)

  • When: Saturday, August 19
  • Where: Geodis Park (Nashville)
  • Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: Apple TV

Leagues Cup Starting Lineups

Inter Miami possible lineup:
Callender, Yedlin, Miller, Kryvtsov, Alba, Arroyo, Busquets, Gomez, Messi, Martinez, Taylor

Nashville SC possible lineup:
Panicco, Lovitz, Zimmerman, MacNaughton, Moore, Shaffelburg, Godoy, McCarty, Muyl, Mukhtar, Surridge

Leagues Cup Odds and betting lines

MLS odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Odds were last updated Friday, August 18, at 5:12 p.m.

Inter Miami (-110) vs. Charlotte FC (+240)

Draw: (+270)

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