Teams are continuing to qualify for the knockout rounds of Leagues Cup 2023. Although no one was eliminated today, six clubs punched their tickets into the round of 32.
The six clubs who joined the trio that have already reached the knockout rounds are from the following groups: West 1, West 3, East 1, East 2, East 3 and East 4. Below is information on who is through and the potential matchups we could see in the knockout stages.
The teams that qualified this Wednesday
DC United
DC United secured a spot into the knockout stages in its Leagues Cup 2023 debut. Tonight’s win also put the team at the top of the group with three points. CF Montreal hopes D.C. United can win again. Any non-loss result for Pumas, and CF Montreal is eliminated from the tournament.
New York City Football Club
New York City FC came into the match with the potential to be eliminated from Leagues Cup 2023 since they had lost their first match against Atlas FC. But on Matchday 5 of the tournament, they thrashed Toronto FC 5-0 and earned a spot in the round of 32. The final group match between Atlas FC and Toronto FC will determine which of those two clubs moves on and the final ranking of the group.
Philadelphia Union
The Philadelphia Union is one of the top-scoring clubs in Leagues Cup 2023 and has put up impressive scores en route to reaching the knockout rounds. In their tournament debut, they beat Club Tijuana 3-1 and this Wednesday, they crushed Club Querétaro, 5-1. With the Union earning the top spot of the group, the next match between Club Tijuana and Club Querétaro will determine who moves on.
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution began Leagues Cup 2023 with a scoreless draw against New York Red Bulls. In penalty kicks, the team lost 4-2 and came away with just a point. But this Wednesday, the team bounced back and beat Atlético San Luis, 5-1. The unstoppable Giacomo Vrioni lead the club with a hat trick. Now Atlético San Luis must beat New York Red Bull if they want to advance. If the match ends in a draw, regardless of who wins penalties, it’ll be the MLS side moving on.
Club Leon
The Mexican side Club León is the top team in West Group 3. In their opening match of Leagues Cup 2023, the team drew with Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2-2 and then won a 19-round penalty shootout 16-15.This Wednesday, they sealed their first-place finish with a 1-0 win over LA Galaxy, and spot in the round of 32.
Portland Timbers
Despite losing to Club Tigres 2-1, the Portland Timbers still wound up qualifying for the next round. The team’s 2-0 win over San José Earthquakes assured them at least a second-place finish. The final group match between Tigres and the Earthquake will determine the group standings order.
These six teams join Inter Miami FC who won both games thanks to a shining Messi performance; Mazaltan FC and Dallas FC. Nine teams await their opponents in the round of 16.
