With the Group Stage in the rearview mirror, all eyes are on the Leagues Cup bracket and projecting "what ifs" as the World Cup-style tournament moves closer to crowning a champion on Aug. 25.
Will powerhouses collide? Does a David vs. Goliath upset await? Which stars could rise to the occasion?
Let's dive in.
Columbus vs. Miami
Can Inter Miami CF successfully defend their Leagues Cup title? Doing so might mean overcoming reigning MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew in the Round of 16.
That matchup would arrive if Miami defeat Toronto FC on Thursday in the Round of 32 (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass). Meanwhile, Columbus hope to push past Sporting Kansas City on Friday after getting a Group Stage bye (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
While Lionel Messi is recovering from an ankle injury, the match would feature ample star power with Cucho Hernández, Diego Rossi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and more across two of MLS' elite teams.
The Eastern Conference contenders met back on June 19, with Miami winning 2-1 at their Chase Stadium home. However, this theoretical Leagues Cup matchup would occur at Columbus' Lower.com Field.
Clash of titans
Forgive us for looking ahead to the quarterfinals. How could we not when there's a potential clash of titans just a few weeks away?
It's possible to have one of the following matchups in the quarterfinals:
- Columbus Crew vs. Tigres UANL
- Columbus Crew vs. Pachuca
- Inter Miami CF vs. Pachuca
- Inter Miami CF vs. Tigres UANL
If the Miami vs. Tigres matchup sounds familiar, that's because they met last weekend in the Group Stage. Tigres got a 2-1 win at NRG Stadium, offering a spicy appetizer to a potential single-elimination match.
Meanwhile, Columbus would get a chance at Concacaf Champions Cup revenge. They dropped the 2024 final, 3-0, at Pachuca back on June 1 – playing shorthanded as food poisoning ravaged Wilfried Na+ncy's squad and staff.
Final at TQL?
If they advance to the Aug. 25 final, FC Cincinnati would host at TQL Stadium.
Leagues Cup hosting priority is decided by the new Leagues Cup ranking system, and the defending Supporters' Shield winners are near the top (No. 3). Club América are the only remaining club above them. And the reigning LIGA MX champions, who sit on the opposite side of the bracket, can only host through the semifinals.
Lucho Acosta and Co. begin their knockout stage in the Round of 32 against Santos Laguna. Then, they would face the Philadelphia Union vs. CF Montréal winner in the Round of 16.
Looking wayyyy ahead, we could also get a Hell is Real showdown in the semifinals. MLS fans near and wide know Columbus vs. Cincy always delivers.
El Tráfico - Leagues Cup edition?
We've already had a Cali Clásico in the Group Stage, with the LA Galaxy winning 2-1 over the San Jose Earthquakes.
Now, could a Leagues Cup El Tráfico be in the cards between LA and LAFC? If so, the 24th edition of arguably MLS' best rivalry would unfold in the quarterfinals.
These rivals have met twice in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs (2019 & '22), with LAFC winning both times. Thirteen combined goals were scored in those two elimination contests!
LAFC have won both regular-season contests this year, claiming a 2-1 win at BMO Stadium on April 6 and repeating that scoreline in front of 70,076 fans at the iconic Rose Bowl on July 4.
Riqui Puig, Joseph Paintsil, Gabriel Pec and maybe Marco Reus are on LA's side. Then there's Olivier Giroud, Denis Bouanga and Hugo Lloris leading LAFC.
The rivals are tied 9W-9L-5D through 23 all-time meetings. Can we will this into existence?
Giant killers
Club América, Tigres UANL, Cruz Azul, Pachuca – they represent not only the best in LIGA MX, but some of the top squads on the continent. Any of this fearsome foursome will likely be considered favorites in the knockout rounds.
Which MLS teams can slay these giants?
The reigning LIGA MX champions earned a bye into the Round of 32 and enter the competition well-rested. They open up against a familiar foe in Atlas FC in the Round of 32 Friday from Snapdragon Stadium. Should they win that, an MLS foe awaits in the Round of 16.
The Portland Timbers could prove to be that team. They have attacking options galore in Evander, Antony, Felipe Mora and Jonathan Rodríguez, formerly of... Club América. And they already rallied to beat a LIGA MX team in the group stage, thanks to a pair of Zac McGraw headed goals in a 2-1 victory over Club León.
Beyond that, could it be Mexican legend Héctor Herrera and Houston Dynamo FC? That would potentially happen in the quarterfinals. And the Colorado Rapids have some mojo after booking their spot in the knockout rounds by eliminating León on penalties following a last-second equalizer by Brazilian forward Rafael Navarro and penalty-kick heroics by Zack Steffen.
Should Las Águilas avoid those possible pitfalls, maybe one of the LAs can do the job in what would surely be an epic semifinal?
In what might be the tastiest Round of 32 showdown, Tigres UANL meet Pachuca at Austin FC's Q2 Stadium on Thursday (9 pm ET | Apple TV - Free; FS1, UniMás; TSN, RDS). Whoever emerges from that heavyweight tilt would be a clear favorite against either the New England Revolution or New York City FC in the Round of 16.
Then comes one of the clash of titans we referenced above. That includes a possible round two between Tigres and Inter Miami after Tigres claimed a 2-1 victory over the Herons with both squads resting some of their biggest stars.
We've not seen the best of Cruz Azul just yet in Leagues Cup. Maybe they were gearing up for the knockout stages. Either way, a difficult meeting with host Orlando City SC – one of the juiciest Round of 32 matchups – comes Friday evening (7:30 pm ET | Apple TV - MLS Season Pass).
Should they slay the Lions, which won't be easy considering the white-hot form of Ramiro Enrique and Facu Torres, Cruz Azul, led up front by Carlos Rotondi and former Atlanta United striker Giorgos Giakoumakis, would be a clear favorite against either D.C. United or Mazatlán.
Then, maybe it's Supporters' Shield winners FC Cincinnati or a rematch with the Philadelphia Union in the quarterfinals. La Máquina narrowly qualified for the Round of 32 with a 5-3 penalty shootout victory over the Union.
