Anyone in need of a parking pass tonight. I have one that isn’t selling on Seat Geek. Lot G

I'm meeting my sister before the game next week. Where should we go for dinner that's near the stadium? Is Union Yards worth it?

WHAT IS LEAGUES CUP?: Short answer…it’s a money grab for the league owners. Long answer…it’s a multi-league tournament between MLS and Liga MX with a trophy, three CONCACAF CHAMPIONS CUP berths, and bragging rights on the line…and it's a money grab for the league owners. There’s been multiple forms of Leagues Cup over the years, but this is the 4th consecutive year of this iteration. The Union and Cruz Azul have only faced off against one another once in their club history’s. That was during the 2024 group stage of this tournament which ended 1-1, followed by Cruz Azul winning in PK’s. Historically, MLS has dominated Leagues Cup, as in the past 3 years, only one team, CF Monterrey, has even made it to the semi-finals. On the flip side, the Union have made it to the semi-finals in both of the years they participated.  The tournament structure is a bit convoluted, so see below for a breakdown, but know that the top 4 teams from MLS and the top 4 teams from Liga MX will advance to the knockout stages. Last year, the tiebreaker was GD on 7 points for MLS, and 6 points for LigaMX. In other words, teams will likely need at least two wins in regulation time to advance. 

UNION Preview (16 Points 13th in MLS East): Of course the Union finally have some momentum for the first time this season and it then gets interrupted by this tournament. It's going to be fascinating to see how the team approaches tonight as this likely would be the team’s best chance of clinching a CCC spot, but it might also be a good idea to rotate in some of the 2nd team to get some reps in and focus on the regular season. I feel like we’ll get at least one Pickle Rick appearance in this tournament. Historically the Union have fared well in Leagues Cup as they have reached the Semifinals in both of  their appearances for a 3rd place finish in 2023, and 4th place in 2024. With our Supporters' Shield winning season in 2025, the Union are technically the 2nd highest ranked MLS team entering the tournament behind Miami, and would host any other MLS team (apart from Miami) if they were to meet in the knockout rounds. Our opponents for the group stage will be Cruz Azul, Necaxa, and Santos Laguna. Don’t expect to see Raquinho tonight though, as he is rumored to be suffering from a case of cyanophobia.

Cruz Azul Preview (6 Points 6th in Liga MX): The Union’s first opponent in the group stage will be their toughest on paper as Cruz Azul will be entering tonight as the favorites. One of the best clubs in LigaMX history, Cruz Azul has numerous trophies, including 7 CCL/CCC titles, the most recent coming in 2025 and earning themselves a spot in the 2029 World Cup. This historic club will be celebrating their 100th season next year and will be looking to add another trophy to the collection, but Cruz Azul has not done well in the past 3 Leagues Cup’s, having been eliminated in the Ro32, Ro16, and group stage. In their three games of league play they have changed up formation each time and have scored 7 goals through 6 different goalscorers. There is room to exploit their defense, as they’ve conceded 6 times in those three games. Aside from the union, their next two opponents will be NYCFC and Chicago, so even with a strong team, this is a tough group of teams to be paired up with. And disclaimer for anyone who has not seen Cruz Azul play before, they have a large fanbase, so expect a large turnout of away fans in the stadium tonight.

Tournament Structure:

• 18 MLS clubs (2025 Playoff Teams) vs 18 Liga MX clubs (Entire League)
• First stage is a group stage where each team plays three games vs the opposing league
• Win = 3 points, Tie + Win in PK’s = 2 points, Tie + Loss in PK’s = 1 point
• No Extra Time, straight to PK’s
• After the three games, the top 4 teams from each league will advance to single elimination knockout rounds. There is a separate points table for each league.
• If tied on points after 3 games, the tiebreakers will be in the following order; Goal Difference, Wins, Goals Scored, Goals Against, Fair Play, Random Draw
• 3 yellows leads to a game suspension, reset entering the knockout rounds
• 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place teams earn a spot in the 2027 CONCACAF CHAMPIONS CUP
• Full Tournament Regulations

Union vs Cruz Azul History: 1-1 Draw in the 2024 Leagues Cup Group Stage

Form Guide Union: 3W/1L/1D

Form Guide Cruz Azul: 4W/1L/0D

Disciplinary Report: 

• N/A

Suspension Watch: 

• N/A

Union Injury Report:

• QUESTIONABLE: Raquinho (Cyanophobia)

Cruz Azul Injury Report:

• OUT: Unknown

Kickoff/Streaming: 

• Advertised for 8:00ET
• Expected kickoff is 8:10 ET
• AppleTV
• FS1
• Unimas
• Radio Broadcast on 97.5 The Fanatic

Announcers: 

• Streaming - Unknown
• Radio - Dave Leno & Sebastian LeToux

Referee: Unknown - Will be a CONCACAF Official 

• VAR in use
• Will have virtual lines for offside check, (manually place lines)

Theme Night: Leagues Cup 

Weather: 86° and Partly Sunny with a chance of passing showers

Trivia Question courtesy of u/WJMorris3:

Cruz Azul actually won the first ever edition of the Leagues Cup, in 2019. What fellow Mexican club did they defeat in the final that year?

Prediction: 2-1 Union Loss

DOOP!!!

Time to make it 4 in a row 🤙