Double MLS win as both América and Chivas fall in Leagues Cup Showcase
Both FC Cincinnati and Nashville SC ran out winners against Mexican powerhouses Chivas and Club América respectively.
The Leagues Cup Showcase competition is prelude which acts as a taster for the 2023 Leagues Cup.
The Leagues Cup will be groundbreaking new competition which is expected to get underway in the summer of 2023, where all of the clubs from the top two first division leagues in North America (MLS and Liga MX) will compete in a Leagues Cup: an annual, month-long, tournament. Both leagues will pause their respective seasons for one month during the summer to play Leagues Cup with the tournament also serving to showcase the soccer infrastructure and capabilities in the region ahead of the 2026 World Cup which will be hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Five games as part of the Showcase will be held as a taster with LA Galaxy vs. Chivas (2-0 for the MLS side) and a LAFC vs. Club América (the Liga MX side winning on penalty kicks) double header in early August at SoFi Stadium in front of 71,189 fans (a crowd larger than February’s Super Bowl) kicking things off.
MLS double
FC Cincinnati had to dig deep to power past the side from Guadalajara with the MLS side running out winners thanks to three second half goals in the earlier game with Nashville SC needing penalty kicks to overcome Club América after the game ended 3-3 in regular time. This was the MLS team’s first ever international fixture on what proved to be a good night for teams from north of the border.
The final game of the week sees Real Salt Lake taking on current 2022 Clausura champions Atlas FC on Thursday.