The Leagues Cup round-of-32 is behind us as just 16 teams remain. Here is what went down a jam-packed Friday night around the grounds.
What happened
FC Cincinnati forward Corey Baird (11) reacts as FC Cincinnati wins in penalty kicks after regulation of the Leagues Cup match at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. FC Cincinnati defeated Santos Laguna in penalty kicks.
There was non-stop action around the tournament Friday evening, and we’ll start in Columbus where the MLS champs joined the fray with a resounding 4-0 win over Sporting Kansas City in front of a raucous crowd.
It was an evening for penalty shootouts, as NYCFC, Cincinnati, Toluca and Cruz Azul all booked their tickets to the next round, sending New England, Santos Laguna, Houston and Orlando City packing on penalties respectively.
After the dramatic opening slate of games, things out west began to take shape when St. Louis City scored two late goals to beat the red-hot Portland Timbers.
Meanwhile, Colorado and Juárez put on a show in Commerce City, as the Rapids won a five-goal thriller to set up a showdown with Toluca.
Finally, Club América showed why they are potential tournament favorites with gutsy win over Liga MX rivals Atlas. A late Henry Martín goal from close-range was enough to send Las Águilas through.
Goal of the night
There were a couple of stunners in this game, but Claudio Bravo‘s sensational effort from the edge of the box will go down as the best of the night, despite it being in a defeat.
Stat of the night
The knockout round seeding leaves a lot to be desired…
Teams that won groups but had to play away are now 0-4 in the knockouts of Leagues Cup.
I’m not one of the certified geniuses who changed Leagues Cup rules this year, but it sure does seem pretty dumb to make group stage success meaningless.
— Kevin Morris (@socceralt) August 9, 2024
What this means
The bracket is set for the round-of-16 with some big-time clashes to leave you wanting more. Most notably, arguably the two best teams in MLS, Columbus and Miami, will square off in a mouth-watering tie.
What comes next
The round-of-16 is only a few days away, as the eight games will play out across August 12/13 to decide who will head to the last-eight.
Image: © Morgan Tencza-USA TODAY Sports
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