{"id":7229,"date":"2026-08-25T20:40:05","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T20:40:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/?p=7229"},"modified":"2026-08-25T20:40:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T20:40:05","slug":"will-mlss-leagues-cup-domination-continue-quarterfinal-matchups-predictions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/?p=7229","title":{"rendered":"Will MLS&#039;s Leagues Cup Domination Continue? Quarterfinal Matchups, Predictions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"subnav-title ff-ffc bold fs-23 lh-25 uc pd-b-10\">\n            BROWSE BY\n          <\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225>The business end of the annual Leagues Cup tournament between the best teams in MLS and their counterparts in Mexico\u2019s Liga MX is here.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225>The original field of 36 teams \u2014 18 from each side of the Rio Grande \u2014 has been whittled down to eight, with the single-elimination quarterfinals kicking off on Tuesday before concluding with a pair of nationally televised games on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225>Here&#8217;s an in-depth look at the four matchups, plus my picks to reach next week\u2019s final four.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225>The Fire went a perfect 3-0 in the first round \u2014 or Phase 1 \u2014 of the tournament, and have steadily improved under second-year coach Gregg Berhalter, who led the U.S. national team to the knockout stage at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225>Once one of MLS\u2019s marquee franchises, Chicago returned to the playoffs last fall after an eight-season drought, and Berhalter\u2019s team \u2014 which recently signed legendary Polish striker Robert Lewandowski from Barcelona \u2014 is currently third in the Eastern Conference, three points behind Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami with a game in hand.<\/p>\n<p><span>(Photo by Jessie Alcheh\/Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225>Los Rayados will be Lewandowski &amp; Co.\u2019s toughest opponent yet. Monterrey is third in Liga MX\u2019s Apertura standings, and while they\u2019re back in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2023, when they advanced to the final four, they have both the pedigree of a club that boasts five Mexican and five Concacaf titles all-time <i>and<\/i> prolific former Fire forward Hugo Cuypers, who headed south of the border shortly after Lewandowski\u2019s arrival and will surely be extra motivated to eliminate his ex-employers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225>Still, Chicago is the lone quarter-finalist hosting a home match as opposed to playing at a neutral site. That\u2019s a significant advantage even if the contest will be held at the club\u2019s former home stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois instead of Soldier Field \u2014 and a major reason why MLS sides have won all three editions of the Leagues Cup since the expanded format was introduced in 2023.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225><i><strong>Pick: Fire<\/strong><\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225>Not only will RSL not be at their usual home in Sandy, Utah, Tuesday\u2019s nightcap will be staged at the stadium of their chief MLS rival, the Colorado Rapids: in even thinner air than the Claret and Cobalt usually play in at the foot of the Wasatch Range, with a sea of green in the stands as L\u00e9on supporters are expected to make up the bulk of those in attendance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225>That\u2019s part of the reason Pablo Mastroeni rested 10 starters over the weekend in Orlando to have them fresh for L\u00e9on \u2014 especially with RSL just one point above the playoff line in MLS\u2019s Western Conference. With no guarantee of even getting the chance to make a title run in league play, prioritizing the Leagues Cup is a no-brainer, given that just reaching the final would be enough to secure a spot in next season\u2019s Concacaf Champions Cup. Winning would snare RSL a round of 16 berth in addition to $2 million in prize money.<\/p>\n<p><span>(Photo by Tyler Tate\/Getty Images)<\/span> <!--&gt;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225>The same goes for L\u00e9on. Los Esmeraldas are in a similar situation to RSL, just one point above the playoff line in Mexico and in danger of missing out on the Liguilla entirely.<i> <\/i>But L\u00e9on is the team in better form, having won six consecutive matches across both Liga MX and Leagues Cup. Add in the fact that RSL just sold prize teenager and U.S. men\u2019s national team prospect Zavier Gozo to Premier League mainstay Crystal Palace, and this mountain is probably too tall for Diego Luna and his teammates to scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225><i><strong>Pick: L\u00e9on<\/strong><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225>Wednesday\u2019s neutral site action gets underway far from both central Mexico and central Texas, in (of all places) Harrison, New Jersey. That\u2019s not likely to keep Toluca fans based all over the East Coast from coming out to support their team at the New York Red Bulls\u2019 Sports Illustrated Stadium. Toluca, the Apertura and Clausura champions in 2025, are having another fine season in domestic play, trailing only Atlas and Liga MX\u00a0 leaders Club Am\u00e9rica five matches into the new campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225>Although Austin stunned Am\u00e9rica on penalties to reach the last eight, upsetting the<strong> <\/strong>Red Devils to reach the Leagues Cup semis would be the highlight of an otherwise miserable season. <i>Los Verdes <\/i>fired coach Nico Est\u00e9vez in May; they still sit 28th out of 30 MLS teams in the Supporters Shield standings. With Austin almost certain to miss the playoffs for the third time in four years, Toluca ought to get their best game. Even that might not be enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225><i><strong>Pick: Toluca<\/strong><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span>(Photo by Agustin Cuevas\/Getty Images)<\/span> --><\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225>The marquee match of the knockout stage pits Liga MX\u2019s most successful, most popular and richest club \u2014 the Mexico City-based Aguilas \u2014 against the 2024 Leagues Cup champion Crew.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225>This will be an away game for Columbus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225>With the LA Galaxy\u2019s 27,000-seat Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. assigned hosting duties, the venue will be packed to the gills by fans proudly clad in yellow \u2014 and not for the three-time MLS Cup winners.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225>They\u2019d have their hands full even in Ohio\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n<p><span>(Photo by Manuel Guadarrama\/Getty Images)<\/span> <!--&gt;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225>It\u2019s been a nightmare 2026 for Columbus, which has won just five of its 21 MLS games this season and is 15th \u2014 dead last \u2014 in the East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225>The Crew, which just sold USA World Cup defender Max Arfsten to English second-tier team Middlesbrough, has lost three straight games going into Wednesday\u2019s encounter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225>Meantime, Am\u00e9rica is all alone atop Liga MX\u2019s Apertura table and the prohibitive favorite to claim its 17th Mexican title later this year. No wonder Los Aguilas are the bookies' overwhelming pick to advance even without their No. 10 \u2014 Arfsten\u2019s U.S. teammate Alex Zendejas, who is still recovering from post-World Cup knee surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" data-v-0a453225><i><strong>Pick: Club Am\u00e9rica<\/strong><\/i><\/p>\n\n--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>BROWSE BY The business end of the annual Leagues Cup tournament between the best teams in MLS and their counterparts in Mexico\u2019s Liga MX is here. The original field of 36 teams \u2014 18 from each side of the Rio Grande \u2014 has been whittled down to eight, with the single-elimination quarterfinals kicking off on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":7228,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7229"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7229\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7228"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/play-live.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}