The teams that qualified for the Leagues Cup final will be happy to be in the running for a big bonus and a spot in next year’s CONCACAF Champions Cup.
They probably won’t be as delighted as executives from MLS and Apple TV, who already have Lionel Messi vying for a trophy on their platforms.
Messi and Inter Miami will square off with Nashville SC in the 2023 Leagues Cup final. The match is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET Saturday, August 19 at the latter’s home, Geodis Park.
The winner, apart from claiming a $2 million cash prize, will also get a bye into the round of 16 in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Different paths for Miami, Nashville to final
Miami earned their spot by more or less running over anyone in their path. A series of very early goals and Messi wizardry has resulted in the Herons reeling off five wins out of six. Even FC Dallas pushing Miami into a penalty kick shootout required a preposterous 4-4 draw, and that knockout game still ended with Messi and co. moving on.
Cruz Azul lost in dramatic fashion, Orlando City came up short in a fractious match, and Dallas went out in the tiebreaker. In Tuesday’s semifinal, the Philadelphia Union joined Atlanta United and Charlotte FC in getting lit up by Messi and Miami. The same team that has 22 goals in 22 MLS regular season games has scored 21 in just six Leagues Cup matches. Despite being on the road for the final, the Herons are surely the favorites.
Nashville’s path has been far more circuitous. The Tennesseans lost to Toluca in the group stage, and had to get help from the Liga MX side to guarantee a place in the knockout stage.
From there, it didn’t get easier. Nashville’s path included the Supporters’ Shield leaders FC Cincinnati (who they eliminated on penalties after a 1-1 draw), followed by Liga MX titans Club América. Once again, Nashville advanced, but only by surviving one of the most bizarre games in recent memory.
Finally, things got a little bit easier, as Gary Smith’s club clobbered Minnesota United 5-0, but all that did was set a date against a giant in CF Monterrey. Late on Tuesday, Nashville showed major nerve in a 2-0 win over one of the region’s elite teams.
Fans at Geodis Park finished that match chanting “we want Messi!” and now, they’ll get exactly what they hoped for.
[lawrence-related id=25772,19021,25186]