The frantic final five minutes that decided East 4 Group

The closing stages of the East 4 group at Leagues Cup 2023 this Sunday provided its fair share of excitement. The final spot to advance on to the Round of 16 was decided in the five minutes of stoppage time in the game between the **New York Red Bulls** and **Atlético San Luis**. A saved penalty, a VAR check, a lethal counter-attack, and one of the teams celebrating - and they’re now in for a local derby in the next round.

Leagues Cup 2023 doesn’t just bring together the best teams in Canada, Mexico and the United States - it also has an innovative format in which everything can change in the space of just a few minutes of action. This Sunday evening was a prime example of that, when second place in East 4 was on the line. With the New England Revolution already through to the next round, it was up to the **New York Red Bulls** and **Atlético San Luis** to compete for that final spot.

The New York outfit dominated the first half, although they struggled in front of goal. Eventually, they opened the scoring through Dante Vanzeir at the 56th minute.

The Red Bulls continued to be in control of the game up until one of Atlético San Luis’ first chances in the game, and Jeison Murillo equalised ten minutes later to change the dynamic of the match.

Atleti had already lost 5-1 to the New England Revolution, so needed a win in regulation time in order to go through. A tie or a loss would not be enough, given their opponents had drawn 0-0 in their first fixture. As a result, Gustavo Leal’s men were pushing forward to turn the game around and stay in the competition.

With the score still level on 89 minutes, the referee pointed to the spot and awarded a penalty to the LIGA MX side. Had Unai Bilbao scored, his team would have been in the knockout stages. Bilbao fixed his eyes on the ball, while the goalkeeper Carlos Coronel moved along the goal line. The Spaniard began his run-up and shot, aiming for the shot-stopper’s right-hand post. Coronel had guessed his intentions, and parried the effort.

Coronel had denied the Mexican side. But just as the ball was leaving the pitch, the referee began to speak with the VAR official over a possible foul due to encroachment. Would there be a retake?

After just seven seconds, the referee ended his conversation with his VAR counterpart: “Play on, play on”. The game was still level, and Atlético San Luis had just four minutes to find a winner and remain in the tournament. Despite their efforts, two minutes later Dante Vanzeir sealed the result after finishing a devastating counter to score his team’s second.

The late strike sees Atlético San Luis out of Leagues Cup 2023, while the New York Red Bulls have finished as East 4 leaders. They will take on the runners-up of East 3 in New York City FC. Meanwhile, the New England Revolution will face Atlas FC.