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What the Heck is Leagues Cup?

Let’s talk about the upcoming inter-league tournament involving MLS and Liga MX teams that is interrupting the regular season.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

The Leagues Cup has been around since 2019, but a lot of soccer fans in North America still aren’t too familiar with it. It began as an eight-team, single-elimination tournament with four clubs each from Major League Soccer and Liga MX. It has changed formats over the last few years, with 2023 featuring every team in both leagues and a group stage prior to the knockout rounds.

The 2019 tournament featured two Liga MX finalists, with Cruz Azul defeating Tigres, 2-1 in Las Vegas to capture the title. The 2020 event was supposed to double the number of teams, but it was canceled due to the pandemic.

In 2021, Orlando City participated in the tournament for the first time. The format reverted to four teams from each of the two leagues again, with Sporting Kansas City, New York City FC, and the Seattle Sounders also participating from MLS. The Sounders became the first MLS team to reach the final but Liga MX’s Club Leon won it, 3-2.

The Lions, as you may recall, were eliminated in the quarterfinals after a controversial 1-0 home loss to Santos Laguna. Orlando City players felt that Antonio Carlos was fouled on the buildup to the game’s only goal. Junior Urso was shown a straight red after the match and would theoretically be suspended for Friday’s game against Houston if he was still a Lion (or, no, probably he would have served his ban in Champions League against Tigres, but I digress). [UPDATE: Well, look at that Junior *is* a Lion once again…the club is double-checking his Leagues Cup eligibility.]

Rather than a tournament, Leagues Cup presented a showcase of five matches in 2022. This was due to fixture congestion due to the FIFA World Cup that year and was to become a preview for an expanded 2023 tournament, which begins this weekend. Five MLS teams and three Liga MX teams participated in the showcase, with the following results:

  • The LA Galaxy defeated Guadalajara 2-0 at SoFi Stadium.
  • Club America drew LAFC 0-0 and won a postgame penalty shootout 6-5 — also at SoFi Stadium.
  • FC Cincinnati defeated Guadala 3-1 at TQL Stadium.
  • Nashville SC drew Club America 3-3 and then defeated the Liga MX side 4-2 in penalties at Geodis Park.
  • Atlas defeated Real Salt Lake 2-1 at America First Field.

The 2023 Iteration of Leagues Cup

The 2023 inter-league tournament starts Friday and runs through Aug. 19, with 77 matches scheduled in all. The entire tournament will take place in the MLS footprint — either in the U.S. or Canada. It is an officially sanctioned Concacaf event, organized through the cooperation of Major League Soccer and the Mexican Football Federation.

Every team in MLS and Liga MX will participate, with 2022 MLS champion LAFC and 2022 Liga MX Aperatura and Clausura aggregate top point getter Pachuca each getting byes past the group stage. They will begin the tournament in the Round of 32. This tournament will qualify three teams for the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup (formerly Concacaf Champions League). The two finalists and the third-place team from the 2023 Leagues Cup will qualify and the winner will get placed in the Round of 16 of next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup.

The groups will play in four regions: West, Central, South, and East. Each region includes multiple groups — with each group consisting of three teams that will play each other in a round-robin format. There are three groups in the West, four in the Central, Four in the South, and Four in the East. The top two teams in each group advance to the knockoug stages, which begin in the Round of 32, which will be held Aug. 2-4. The Round of 16 will take place Aug. 6-8, the quarterfinals Aug. 11-12, the semifinals on Aug. 15, and the final and third-place playoff on Aug. 19.

Orlando City was drawn into group South 2 along with the Houston Dynamo and Santos Laguna. The Lions will host Houston on Friday and Santos Laguna on Saturday, July 29 at Exploria Stadium. Houston will host Santos Laguna on July 25 at Shell Energy Stadium.


Points System and Rules

As is the case in normal league games, the winner of each group stage match gets three points in the standings. The loser gets zero points. If two teams play to a draw, there is a penalty shootout after the match — much like the current league setup for MLS NEXT Pro. The shootout determines which of the two teams will get an extra point in the standings.

The games will use video assistant referees, so critical plays can be upheld or overturned. As is the case everywhere, that doesn’t mean video replay will be used correctly or in a way that makes anyone happy. Referees in this tournament will come from the FMF, the Professional Referee Organization (PRO) and Concacaf. 

Leagues Cup will not have a foreign players rule like U.S. Open Cup does, or as per Liga MX requirements.


Orlando City’s Path

If Orlando City can finish either first or second in group South 2, the Lions would get to advance to the knockout stages. The group’s second-place team will have to face Pachuca in the Round of 32, while the winner of South 2 will face the winner of South 3 — a group that consists of Inter Miami, Cruz Azul, and Atlanta United. Either way, the teams that get out of South 2 are in Pachuca’s corner of the bracket.

If the Lions were to advance to the Round of 16, the choices branch out. If Orlando City wins the group and then beats the South 3 winner, it would face the victor between the South 1 winner (Austin FC, Mazatlan, or Juarez) or the South 4 runner-up (FC Dallas, Necaxa, or Charlotte FC).

I refuse to do any permutations beyond that, but advancing to the quarterfinals would likely mean a match against Pachuca (if Orlando wins South 2) or…well, one of the other teams from one of the South region groups.


The above gives the basics of what the Leagues Cup is. It doesn’t give the ‘Why?’ but the answer to those kinds of questions is usually ‘Because money,’ isn’t it?

Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/5/25

MLS All-Star voting update, Kerry Abello shines with USWNT, Sergio Zapata earns recognition, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this week has been treating you well as we enjoy some international soccer and prepare for the return of NWSL action this weekend. Before we jump right into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B midfielder Dylan Judelson!

Pair of Lions Lead MLS All-Star Voting

Voting for this year’s MLS All-Star Game remains underway and an update was provided on which players are leading at each position. Orlando City defender Alex Freeman leads all right backs as he enjoys a breakout season. I was aware of the buzz he’s been getting this year, but it’s still surprising to see a Lion as an All-Star frontrunner. What’s even more surprising is that Pedro Gallese leads the voting for goalkeepers. The Peruvian made a rough gaffe last week, but has otherwise had a stellar season with Orlando that’s included seven clean sheets. Voting will close on June 11, so make sure to get those votes in before then.

Kerry Abello Impresses With USMNT

Orlando Pride defender Kerry Abello made her first appearance for the United States Women’s National Team Tuesday, playing every minute of the 4-0 win over Jamaica. The versatility she’s shown with the Pride translated well in Head Coach Emma Hayes’ system, as she was able to hold things down defensively and contribute to the attack as well. Abello could end up bringing solid depth to the USWNT as Hayes figures out the team’s future core of players. Enjoy this video from the USWNT that provides a look behind the scenes of Abello’s international debut.

Sergio Zapata Named Player of the Month

Sergio Zapata scored a whopping 11 goals for Orlando City’s U-19 team over the course of just four matches in May, winning the honor of MLS NEXT Player of the Month. He had three hat tricks last month, including one against Hoosier Premier at MLS NEXT Fest. Zapata committed to Cornell, so hopefully we’ll get to see him tear it up in the Ivy League over the next couple of years.

Zack Steffen Sustains Knee Injury

Goalkeeper Zack Steffen injured his knee at the United States Men’s National Team’s training camp and will reportedly miss this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. It’s rough news for the 30-year-old, as he was expected to compete with Matt Turner for the starting job with the USMNT. He’s been having a great season with the Colorado Rapids and returned to the club for further evaluation on the injury.

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That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/4/25

USWNT wins as Abello gets first cap, Orlando Pride’s Concacaf W Champions Cup draw, Club World Cup in Orlando, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Tuesday was a busy soccer day, especially on the women’s side. We have plenty of Orlando Pride news, and the USWNT secured yet another victory. I’m hoping the good vibes continue since I’ll be coming down to Orlando for the Pride’s match this Saturday. If you’re going to the match, let me know, as I’d love to meet as many of our readers as possible. For now, let’s get to the links.

USWNT Blanks Jamaica

The USWNT defeated Jamaica 4-0 in a friendly at Energizer Park in St. Louis. The Orlando Pride’s Kerry Abello got her first start and her first cap in the match. She went the full 90 minutes and almost had her first international goal in the second half, but the chance went a bit wide of the right post. Ally Sentnor and Lynn Biyendolo each scored a brace as the U.S. rolled to an easy win.

Pride Internationals

Abello wasn’t the only Pride player to make an international appearance. Marta returned to international duty for Brazil getting the start and the captain’s armband in a 2-1 win over Japan. Both Grace Chanda and Barbra Banda started for Zambia in the 2-0 loss to South Africa in the Three Nations Challenge. Congratulations are also due to Zara Chavoshi, who earned her first cap with the Canadian Women’s National Team in the match against Haiti.

Concacaf W Champions Cup Draw

The Concacaf W Champions Cup draw happened yesterday and the Orlando Pride are in Group A with Club America Femenil, CF Pachuca Femenil, LD Alajuelense, and Chorrillo FC. Group B consists of NJ/NY Gotham FC, the Washington Spirit, CF Monterrey Femenil, Vancouver Rise FC Academy, and Alianza Women FC. The competition kicks off Aug. 19-21.

FIFA Loves Orlando

FIFA President Gianni Infantino sat for an interview with Jamie Seh of WKMG Orlando. Infantino spoke about the upcoming Club World Cup matches at Inter&Co Stadium and Camping World Stadium. FIFA loves Orlando enough for the city to host the Club World Cup, but not the actual World Cup. Here is the schedule for the matches in Orlando. We will be bringing you coverage of these matches.

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That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the return of the Orlando Pride this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/3/25

Orlando City B announces signings, details of Concacaf W Champions Cup, UEFA Nations League preview, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Good morning, everyone. It’s been a pretty brutal last two games for Orlando City, there’s no getting around that fact. While it’s never fun to not have the team in action, a two-week break between games maybe isn’t the worst thing in this particular case. Even though it’ll be a minute before the Lions are back in action, we still have plenty of things to talk about, so let’s get into today’s links.

Orlando City B Announces Signings

Orlando City B announced on Monday that it has signed Clovis Archange and Jackson Platts to MLS NEXT Pro contracts. The pair are graduates of the Orlando City Development Academy and were part of the team that won the U-18 Generation Adidas Cup earlier this year. The 18-year-old Platts captained the team in the final, while Archange was named as one of the players to watch before the tournament started. They’ve both featured for their countries at the youth level, with Platts appearing for the United States U-16 and U-18 teams, and Archange suiting up for Canada’s U-17 side. Congratulations to both players!

Concacaf Announces W Champions Cup Details

Concacaf has named the 10 teams that will participate 2025-2026 Concacaf W Champions Cup and has announced the pots for tonight’s draw. The Orlando Pride are one of three American teams participating in the second year of the competition, and have been placed into Pot 2. Teams will be divided into two groups of five, with each team facing every club in its group once, and the top two sides from each group then advancing to the semifinals. The winner gets a spot in the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, and the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, which is set to be held for the first time in 2028. The draw takes place tonight at 8 p.m.

UEFA Nations League Preview

The UEFA Nations League returns this week, with the semifinals set for tomorrow and Thursday, and the third-place game and final taking place on Sunday. Things get started on Wednesday afternoon with Germany facing off against Portugal in Munich. Germany put away Italy 5-4 on aggregate in the quarterfinals to get to the semis for the first time, while Portugal beat Denmark 5-2, and is hunting for its second Nations League trophy. Thursday has Spain taking on France in Stuttgart. The Spanish beat the Netherlands on penalties in the semis to get here, while France took out Croatia on penalties to punch its ticket. There’s plenty of recent history in this one as these teams also met in the semifinals of Euro 2024 last year, with Spain claiming a 2-1 win.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The transfer rumor mill has kicked into full swing, so let’s catch up on some of the big talking points. Starting in England, Manchester United has reportedly increased its interest in Brian Mbuemo, with the Brentford forward said to also be interested in moving to the club. There are said to be a number of Premier League teams interested in signing Southampton midfielder Tyler Dibling after his team was relegated to the Championship this season. Jobe Bellingham will reportedly follow in his brother Jude’s footsteps, as he’s reportedly decided to join Borussia Dortmund. Finally, Inter Milan is reportedly interested in signing Marcus Rashford as the Italians look to rebuild the squad following a brutal defeat in the UEFA Champions League final.

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  • Here’s a first look at Alex Freeman in his USMNT kit:

That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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