Charlotte FC is on a great run of form recently, going undefeated through a three-match road stand at FC Cincinnati, Columbus Crew, and Austin FC.
Now, attention shifts to Leagues Cup, a tournament featuring all teams from both MLS and Liga MX (Mexico’s top division). CLTFC will play their first group stage match at the Philadelphia Union this Saturday before returning home to take on Cruz Azul next Wednesday to wrap up group stage play.
Match: Charlotte FC at Philadelphia Union (Leagues Cup Group Stage)
When: Saturday, July 27
Where: Subaru Park, Chester, PA
Kickoff: 8:00 p.m. ET
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Previous Matches:
Austin FC 2 – 2 Charlotte FC (Major League Soccer | July 20)
Philadelphia Union 3 – 0 Nashville SC (Major League Soccer | July 20)
Group Standings: Top two advance to Round of 32
T-1. Charlotte FC – 0 points
T-1. Philadelphia Union – 0 points
T-1. Cruz Azul – 0 points
Leagues Cup Primer
Friday marks the start of the 2024 Leagues Cup, the second edition of a unique tournament that debuted last year. Here’s your quick-hitting guide on the essentials of a tournament that may still be unfamiliar to some fans:
- MLS (United States and Canada) and Liga MX (Mexico) send all their first-division clubs (47 total) to compete against each other tournament-style.
- Both leagues pause their respective regular seasons from now until late August.
- Teams are placed into three-team groups, with the top two advancing to the knockout rounds.
- Knockout rounds start with the Round of 32, meaning CLTFC would need to win five straight matches to be crowned champions.
- The top three teams earn places in the prestigious Concacaf Champions Cup for 2025.
Additionally, there are a few different rules and procedures that will look different for the tournament:
- No draws in the group stage. Any match that ends in a tie will go straight to a penalty shootout; the winner of the shootout will take home an extra point.
- No overtime in the knockout rounds (except for the final). Penalty shootouts will decide the winner after 90 minutes.
Charlotte FC is in a group with Philadelphia Union and Mexican side Cruz Azul. They’ll start with Philadelphia on the road on Saturday, July 27, before returning home to host Cruz Azul at Bank of America Stadium on Wednesday, July 31.
If you want to dive deeper into what this tournament means to the team, read on with Caleb Adams’ Ultimate Guide.
Related:
The Opponent
CLTFC has faced the Philadelphia Union twice already this season, a 0-0 draw at home and a 2-0 win for The Crown on the road on June 22.
We’ve broken down their team, style, and players quite a bit at this point, so let’s take a 30,000-foot view at the Union’s recent form.
Compared to the Philadelphia team Charlotte faced earlier in the season, this current version of Philadelphia is finally playing with the confidence and dominance they used to in previous seasons.
Entering that 2-0 Charlotte win at Subaru Park, the Union had won only once in their previous 12 matches. Even after that match, Philadelphia recorded three losses and one draw in their next four matches. They seemed locked in a downward spiral that spelled doom for their season.
However, they have flipped a switch in the last two games, achieving dominant wins at home over New England (5-1) and Nashville SC (3-0) to drag themselves up to 10th place and just one point outside of the playoff places.
The obvious caveat is that New England are currently dead last in the Eastern Conference, and Nashville SC aren’t much better at 12th after firing long-time Head Coach Gary Smith earlier this season.
Still, this is now a Philadelphia team with many of their influential players back in the lineup and riding some significant recent momentum. They will certainly be looking at this tournament as an opportunity to jump start their season before we head into the regular season run-in.
Of course, CLTFC will know a thing or two about using Leagues Cup as a springboard after their quarterfinal run in 2023 bonded the team together and launched them to a first-ever playoff place over the final part of the MLS season.
Now, it’s Head Coach Dean Smith’s job to make sure his team keeps their standards high to avoid a costly tournament loss on the road.
Related:
The Season So Far
So far, CLTFC have made their third season their best season. Head Coach Dean Smith has the team in 6th place in the Eastern Conference through 25 of 34 regular season matches and chasing down the top four spots (which come with a first-round home field advantage).
Recently, the team went on an impressive run on the road. They took down Supporter’s Shield contenders FC Cincinnati 3-1, drew defending champions Columbus Crew 1-1, and then drew Austin FC 2-2, all in the space of eight days.
Now, focus shifts to Leagues Cup and an opportunity to bring home a first-ever trophy for the Club, starting with Philadelphia away this Saturday.
