Leagues Cup returns for its second installment after a successful debut last year which saw Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami lift the trophy. As the MLS regular season takes a pause, all focus shifts to the region’s newest tournament.
Charlotte FC fans will remember their competition debut fondly. Last year's tournament served as a launching pad for a team resurgence that eventually led to the Club’s first playoff berth.
Despite playing every knockout match on the road, The Crown reached the quarterfinals but were eliminated by the eventual winners, Miami.
For those needing a refresher or tuning into Leagues Cup for the first time, here’s the rundown. Over the course of a month, all 47 clubs from MLS and Liga MX (Mexico’s top division) participate in a massive World Cup-style tournament. At stake is a significant cash prize and three spots in the prestigious Champions Cup, where the best teams in the region compete for the title of best in North and Central America.
Here’s everything you need to know for Charlotte FC’s 2024 Leagues Cup campaign.
A Trophy Opportunity
The Leagues Cup offers a trophy, a substantial cash prize, and (perhaps most importantly) a spot in the Champions Cup, the premier continental tournament in the region.
Dean Smith, who has enjoyed successful tournament runs in England's Carabao Cup and FA Cup, understands the significance of these rare opportunities.
“There are so few options to win things,” said Smith. “The Leagues Cup is one option that our players can win something...
“You haven’t got too many opportunities to win a competition, and this is a really good chance.”
Charlotte have put themselves in prime position in the MLS regular season standings as they head into Leagues Cup. This is a stark contrast to last year when they were struggling through a rough patch in the buildup to the tournament. However, the team was rejuvenated during Leagues Cup and secured their first playoff berth after the tournament.
Ashley Westwood, Charlotte's captain, has advocated for the team to adopt a similar approach this year. He emphasized the importance of striving to win a trophy while also using the tournament as a means to gain momentum and enhance their regular season performance.
“We need to do the same again and use the League Cup as a force to go deep into the [MLS] playoffs,” emphasized Westwood. “So, that's the aim. We're halfway through, and we've set ourselves up to be in a real good position.
“We've just got to not get complacent.”
Dean Smith’s message is clear on the team’s objective for this tournament: “Our mentality is that we are going all out to try and win it.”
Different Opponents
Charlotte has recently achieved impressive results against some of the top teams in MLS. Now, they are set to face different opponents from Liga MX, starting with Cruz Azul in the group stage, who are historically and currently a giant of the Mexican league (and who CLTFC downed in the knockout rounds of last year's Leagues Cup).
Competing against foreign teams presents a fresh challenge, which offers Charlotte another valuable opportunity for growth and improvement as a team.
“I think when you play any cross league, cross border games there’s a certain amount of excitement because there is a certain amount of the unknown,” explained Smith. “You get used to the games and clubs you play against. To play against Mexican teams will be an excellent opportunity to test ourselves.”
Group Stage Preview
The Leagues Cup group stage consists of groups of three teams. After two matches against the other two teams in the group, the top two teams will advance directly to the Round of 32. The third-place team will be eliminated.
The points system is the same as normal: three points for a win, one point each for a draw, and zero points for a loss. However, if the match is tied after 90 minutes, there will be a penalty shoot-out to award one extra point (meaning you could leave the match with two points for a draw plus a shootout victory).
Charlotte FC’s group features the Philadelphia Union of MLS and Cruz Azul of Liga MX.
Charlotte will start their 2024 Leagues Cup campaign on the road against Philadelphia on Saturday, July 27th. These teams have wrapped up their regular season series with Charlotte having the edge. They played to a draw at Bank of America Stadium earlier in the year, but CLTFC won comfortably 2-0 at Subaru Park at the end of May.
The 2022 MLS Cup runners-up have experienced a rough first half of 2024. At one point, the perennial contenders found themselves in unfamiliar territory: last place.
However, since then, they have bounced back in a major way. Winners of their last two matches and now just one place outside of the playoff spots, Philadelphia will be viewing Leagues Cup as an opportunity to continue their good momentum and turn their season around.
Charlotte’s second and final group stage match will be a familiar foe in Cruz Azul. The Crown eliminated the Mexican giants in the Round of 16 by way of penalty shootout in 2023. That match was hosted in Dallas, so this match will be the first opportunity for CLTFC to face Cruz Azul at Bank of America Stadium.
Cruz Azul have started their Liga MX campaign strong as they currently sit at the top of the table with three wins and one draw through four matches. The Liga MX side will have last year’s loss against Charlotte at the top of their mind when coming to the Queen City.
Knockout Round Preview
Should Charlotte FC advance out of their group, they will enter a single-elimination bracket. This starts with the Round of 32, meaning the team will have to win five straight matches to lift the trophy at the end.
Similarly to the group stage, if the teams are tied at the end of regulation, they will go straight to a penalty shootout to determine a winner (no overtime). The only exception is the final, which would go to overtime before a penalty shootout.
The top three teams in the tournament (the two teams in the final plus the winner of the Third Place Match) will book their place in the 2025 Champions Cup.
Catch Charlotte FC’s League Cup opener at Subaru Park against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, July 27th.
