New York City FC and Club Queretaro clash for the first time on Sunday at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx to open their 2024 Leagues Cup campaigns.
Queretaro are no strangers to the East region, facing the likes of the New England Revolution, New York Red Bulls and the Philadelphia Union twice in the 2023 edition. They also played in Washington, D.C., as part of their only encounter against a LIGA MX opponent, Pumas UNAM, in their run to the last eight.
“I think we learned to watch a kind of soccer that is not what we see in the league, with stronger teams physically,” said Queretaro head coach Mauro Gerk. “We know what we are going to face. In the first edition, it cost us in the first match against Philadelphia, then we were able to adapt and we competed in the same way against the MLS teams.”
Los Gallos Blancos welcome the break in league play after starting the Apertura 2024 season with four defeats against the likes of CF Monterrey, Club América, Chivas de Guadalajara, and Club Tijuana.
Gerk mentioned the advantage of incorporating some of his recent signings, like former Nashville SC forward Ake Loba. The Queretaro side has three other players familiar to MLS like Rubio Rubin, Lucas Rodriguez, Ronaldo Cisneros, on top of former West Ham United winger Pablo Barrera.
“For me it is a tournament that can help us grow as a team,” said Queretaro goalkeeper Guillermo Allison. “Last year we had a good participation here. We reached the quarterfinals, and the truth is that we are very happy to be able to participate. We believe it is a tournament that can make the Concacaf zone grow, especially, obviously, Mexico and the U.S.”
New York City FC is certainly not taking its next opponents lightly. Queretaro were one of the final two Mexican teams standing in last year’s tournaments, plus there’s that pesky detail about the MLS-LIGA MX rivalry.
“I don't think anybody will ever be surprised, about the competitive nature of an American team versus a Mexican team,” said NYCFC head coach Nick Cushing. “There's that natural rivalry, right? Whether it's national teams or whether it's the leagues playing against each other.”
“To go all the way and win it, you're gonna have to be a really, really strong team,” Cushing added. “You're gonna have to perform at a high level.”
This encounter kicks off the action in the East 1 group, which also includes reigning MLS Supporters’ Shield holders FC Cincinnati. The MLS side will also look to break its own four-match winless streak before it heads to Ohio to close the group.
“When you play a tournament, it's kind of like a fresh start,” said NYCFC midfielder James Sands. “I really enjoy that part of it and it's the quickest way we'll have a trophy this year. I think we're all looking forward to it and looking forward to testing ourselves.”
