Not familiar with the Leagues Cup? You can read all about the tournament here.
There’s some unusual terminology employed here. The group stages are organized into Phases, with three Matchdays happening within them. This is the final matchday of the opening phase.
Monterrey vs. FC Cincinnati
July 31 @ 7:00pm ET
TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Streaming on AppleTV MLS Season Pass
Fantastic pairing here between two strong sides. Cincy have only lost two matches in their last ten. Monterrey have a slight edge over the other LigaMX teams having played in the Club World Cup in June. They’re not as rusty.
Charlotte FC vs. FC Juarez
July 31 @ 7:30pm ET
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Streaming on AppleTV MLS Season Pass
Juarez hasn’t won a game since March 29th (though they have drawn a handful). Charlotte’s biggest issue this season has been consistency, but in their last five matches they have 4W, 1D. Queen City fans will be hoping to see a continuation of this dominance.
Guadalajara vs. New York Red Bulls
July 31 @ 7:30pm ET
Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison, NJ
Streaming on AppleTV MLS Season Pass
Guadalajara fell apart at the end of the Clausera, but since then they’ve been on a tear, notching wins in the club friendlies and the nascent Apertura. They should be a good match for a Red Bulls team that hasn’t really lived to their pre-season expectations. I give the Mexican club the edge here.
Colorado Rapids vs. Santos
July 31 @ 9:30pm ET
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO
Streaming on AppleTV MLS Season Pass
Aside from their win over Pumas in the first game of the Apertura, Santos have been regressed back to their dismal form that closed out the Clausera (they lost six-in-row). Admittedly, the Rapids haven’t been great either, but with their home pitch advantage should edge the visitors.
Cruz Azul vs. Seattle Sounders
July 31 @ 10:30pm ET
Lumen Field, Seattle, WA
Broadcast on FS1 and TUDN
Streaming on AppleTV MLS Season Pass
This is the second must-see fixture of the day. Don’t let their recent results fool you, Cruz Azul is a potent force that can strike from anywhere, anytime. Seattle should be on their toes, and benefit from a strong run of form after the Club World Cup during which they’ve gone undefeated in five games.
LA Galaxy vs. Tijuana
July 31 @ 11:00pm ET
Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, CA
Streaming on AppleTV MLS Season Pass
This is as much a local derby as anything, with only 120ish miles and a rough border crossing separating them. Notwithstanding two wins in their last five games, I expect LA Galaxy to fall to Los Xolos.
