Leagues Cup explained: How MLS vs. Liga MX competition works as Lionel Messi, Inter Miami face Liga MX’s Atlas

Leagues Cup, the Interleague competition between Major League Soccer and Liga MX, starts on Tuesday as the Columbus Crew Will try to defend their title AAS. The tournament has a new wrinkle -only 18 ml teams and 18 League MX teams in their own groups.

The tournament runs from July 29-August. 31 with competition game in MLS pauses for phase one and resume on August 9. Here is everything you need to know about the tournament:

A break in the promotion

The MLS season may come to the business end of the competition with teams with 10-13 games, but it is time for a break to play a cup competition. Conguration congestion has already been a problem with Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba have already been suspended Due to the skipping of the All-Star competition to get extra rest, but now the herons will participate in their third cup of the season, most of each team, together with the Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles FC. Most teams are only in two cup competitions this season, because MLS wants to combat the congestion of the fixture, but now with teams in Playoff positions that have to play three games in eight days, with more if they make the knockout phases, it is still to be seen whether Leagues Cup will be too much on their legs.

Which makes the League Cup more exclusive with only 18 ml teams, which leaves the tournament at matches in the knockout phase, phase one will still have considerable minutes for every player in competitions where they cannot afford to lose.

Leagues Cup -Layout

• Who plays who in the group stage? Phase one of the tournament only sees clubs of MLS Face Liga MX sides.
• Who is going to the knockouts? There will be competitions between clubs from both competitions, and the rankings will be separated with each competition in their own table, with the top four that improves on the quarterfinals, which takes place on 19-20 August. Because of this will target difference and win in regulations are important because teams can complete the group stage that win all their competitions, but still miss the knockouts due to target difference.
• Can there be tires? Games cannot end in the tires, and if someone is at the end of the regulations, a penalty shootout will decide the winner. Three points are earned for a victory in regulations, one point for regulations and two points for the winner of the penalty shootout.

The new wrinkle of the tournament

Leagues Cup is now exclusively with only the top nine teams in every MLS conference that is eligible to match the 18 participants of Liga MX. It will be more difficult than ever to continue to the knockouts, with only the top four teams of each table that go to the quarterfinals. With this setup, even if an MLS team has a higher points in total than a League MX team in the opposite table, if they are not in the top four of the MLS table, they will not improve, so that every match drama of Matchday One has a matchday three. Expansion side San Diego FC also makes their competition debut after they have just started MLS this season.

Why are San Diego FC in the tournament?

Not every MLS team will participate more, with teams that must now qualify via the competition table, where only the top nine teams of each conference make it. Because of the Vancouver Whitecaps Competing in Concacaf Champions Cup and the Canadian championship, their place in the competition is taken by expansion side San Diego FC, who will try to build on their fast start of life in MLS, where they are at the top of the West.

Leagues Cup rankings

Group A

Group b

Leagues Cup schedule and results

Always east. All competitions available on MLS Season Pass.

Tuesday July 29

• Toluca vs. Columbus Crew, 7 pm
• CF Montreal vs. Club Leon, 7 pm
• NYCFC vs. Puebla, 8 p.m.
• Tigres vs. Houston Dynamo, 9 p.m.
• Lafc vs. Mazzatlan, 10.30 p.m.
• Pachuca vs. San Diego FC, 11 p.m.

Wednesday July 30

• Inter Miami vs. Atlas, 7:30 PM
• Necaxa vs. Atlanta United, 7:30 PM
• Pumas vs. Orlando City, 8 p.m.
• Minnesota United vs. Cheretary, 8:30 PM
• Club America vs. Real Salt Lake, 9:30 PM
• Portland vs. San Luis, 10.30 p.m.

Thursday, July 31

• Monterrey vs. Cincinnati, 7 p.m.
• Chivas Guadalajara vs. RBNY, 7:30 PM
• Charlotte vs. Juarez, 7:30 PM
• Colorado Rapids vs. Santos Laguna, 9:30 PM
• Cruz Azul vs. Seattle Sounders 10.30 pm
• La Galaxy vs. Club Tijuana, 11 p.m.

Friday, August 1

• NYCFC vs. Club Leon, 6 pm
• Columbus Crew vs. Puebla, 7 p.m.
• Houston Dynamo vs. Mazzatlan, 8:30 PM
• Toluca vs. Montreal, 9 p.m.
• Lafc vs. Pachuca, 10.30 p.m.
• Tigres vs. San Diego, 11 p.m.

Saturday 2 August

• Orlando City vs. Atlas, 6 pm
• Inter Miami vs. Necaxa, 7 p.m.
• Pumas vs. Atlanta United, 9 p.m.
• Club America vs. Minnesota United, 9 p.m.
• Real Salt Lake vs. San Luis, 9.30 p.m.
• Portland Timbers vs. Queretaro, 11 p.m.

Sunday 3 August

• Cincinnati vs. Juarez, 5:30 PM
• Chivas Guadalajara vs. Charlotte, 7:50 PM
• Monterrey vs. RBNY, 8:30 PM
• Colorado Rapids vs. Club Tijuana, 9:30 PM
• Seattle Sounders vs. Santos Laguna, 10.30 p.m.
• At Galaxy vs. Cruz Azul, 10.30 pm

Tuesday, August 5

• Columbus Crew vs. Club Leon, 7:30 PM
• Toluca vs. NYCFC, 7:30 PM
• Montreal vs. Puebla, 8 p.m.
• Houston Dynamo vs. Pachuca, 8:30 PM
• Mazzatlan vs. San Diego, 10 p.m.
• Tigres vs. LAFC, 10:30 PM

Wednesday 6 August

• Orlando City vs. Necaxa, 7 p.m.
• Inter Miami vs. Pumas, 7:30 PM
• Atlanta United vs. Atlas, 7:30 PM
• Minnesota United vs. San Luis, 8:30 PM
• Real Salt Lake vs. Queretaro, 9.30 p.m.
• Club America vs. Portland Timbers, 9:30 PM
• Seattle Sounders vs. Club Tijuana, 11 p.m.

Thursday, August 7

• Cincinnati vs. Chivas Guadalajara, 7 pm
• Monterrey vs. Charlotte, 7:30 PM
• Rbny vs. Juarez, 7:30 PM
• Cruz Azul vs. Colorado Rapids, 8:30 PM
• La Galaxy vs. Santos Laguna, 11 p.m.

After completing the group stage, the quarterfinals are still set with MLS opposite Liga MX as follows:

• MLS 1 versus Liga MX 4
• MLS 2 vs. League MX 3
• MLS 3 vs. League MX 2
• MLS 4 vs. League MX 1

When is the knockout phase, semi -finals, definitive and more?

• Phase one: July 29 – August 7
• Quarterfinals: August 19-20
• Semi -finals: 26-27 August
• Third place: August 31
• Final: August 31

What are the tie treakers?

For each club level on points after the end of phase one, the following tie treakers are applied in order:

1. Wins in the regular time
2. Target difference
3. Most goals scored
4. The least goals have admitted
5. The least points in the Fair Play table (yellow and red card accumulation)
6. Drawing organized by Leagues Cup