Leagues Cup 2023 final: what happens in case of a tie?
Almost a third of the games during this edition of the Leagues Cup ended level. How will the final be decided if it ends in a draw?
Of the 75 games played so far at the 2023 Leagues Cup, 22 of them ended level after 90 minutes - almost a third. The Round of 32 was the tightest stage of the tournament with seven of the 16 ties still tied on full-time. That tendency has diminished as the competition wore on, as all of the quarter finals and semi-finals were decided within regulation time.
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During the group stage of the competition, matches that were still tied after 90 minutes were decided in a standard penalty shoot-out - best of five, then sudden death if the two teams were still level after having taken five kicks each. The winners of the shoot-out were awarded two points while the losing team earned one point.
There’s been a couple of nail-biting moments - for example the matchday 1 game between León and Vancouver which at one point looked like it might never be settled. The shootout went to 38 penalties (19 each) before a winner was determined, the Mexicans edging it 16-15.
Matches that end level in the knockout stages
The format is similar for all matches that end without a winner after 90 minutes in the knockout rounds. From the Round of 32 up to the final, all games that end level after 90 minutes of regulation time are decided in a penalty shoot-out. There is no extra-time or Golden Goal.
So if Saturday’s final between Inter Miami and Nashville SC is still tied when the referee blows for full-time, the trophy will be decided from the spot.
How have Inter Miami and Nashville fared in penalty shoot-outs in the Leagues Cup?
Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami have won all of the six games they have played in the 2023 Leagues Cup from Matchday 1 up to the semi-final. So none of their games were decided from the penalty spot.
Nashville have been involved in two shoot-outs and won both. Their Round of 32 tie against Cincinnati ended 1-1 and headed straight to the shoot-out which they won 4-5, converting all of their first five spot-kicks.
In the next round, against Liga MX side América, Gary Smith’s team were seconds away from being eliminated when Sam Surridge headed home to make it 2-2 nine minutes into stoppage-time and set up a dramatic finish. The short straws were drawn for the shoot-out once again, and Nashville kept their cool from 12 yards for the second time. Hany Mukhtar’s effort was saved by Luis Malagón but everyone else converted as the shootout ended 5-6 and the Boys in Gold were into the next round.