Nashville SC defeated Club América 2-2 (6-5 on penalty kicks) Wednesday night in the Leagues Cup to advance to the quarterfinals. The result has become highly controversial with América/Mexico fans calling it a robbery.
The biggest talking point came in the penalty shootout when it initially looked like América goalkeeper Luis Malagón had won his side the game when he denied Jack Maher.
Well, well, well.
The first edition of the Leagues Cup, the summer madness that will see MLS and Liga MX locking antlers for a month, starts this week, with Lionel Messi possibly making his debut for Inter Miami in their game against Cruz Azul on Friday, July 21.
Not too shabby.
However, the Leagues Cup is way more than Lionel Messi, and here we have created a quick guide for MLS fans in which they can know a little bit more about their Liga MX opponents and if they should be worried or not, thanks to our revolutionary fear-o-meter.
League play has come to a halt but watching Matchday 26, you’d never be able to tell. With the All-Star Game around the corner and the highly advertised Leagues Cup set to kick off in less than a week, teams were still in high gear across the league.
Along with two thrilling Gold Cup semifinals, Wednesday featured a final midweek MLS matchday before teams take a break from interleague play. New signings across the league hit the ground running as the push for the playoffs begins to approach its thrilling climax in a few months.
Just six games were contested on Matchday 19 as many teams enjoyed a week off before having to do it all again this coming Wednesday. With 29 teams, the league schedule can easily become discombobulated, especially with rescheduled matches and bye weeks. To accommodate this, MLS Matchday 19 gave these teams a chance to catch up and re-level the playing field. While there may have been fewer games, the quality on display was as high as ever.
Shock results rocked the boat in MLS Matchweek 11, with upsets happening from Seattle to Miami and San Jose to Charlotte. Frontrunners have emerged in both the league standings and the MVP race as several big names set the scoresheets alight and dazzled in front of packed crowds.
Matchups at the top and bottom of the table make for some interesting reading. The two best teams in the East faced off in Foxborough, while Kansas City played host to both the NFL Draft and a struggling Montréal side to varying degrees of success. In the West, dropped points from Seattle, St. Louis, and San Jose only gave more life to LAFC on their week off.
The weather's warming, the flowers are blooming and your local MLS side is calling — it's tailgating season. If you're looking to schedule an outing, here are 10 players who are worth the price of admission.
There's no sound science behind this ranking so warning, some readers might be offended. But I really don't think you'll have a bad time watching any of these guys play live.
#10. Jordan Morris | Seattle Sounders
Position: Left winger
A week on from international matches and MLS has returned to full strength. The superstars have reappeared, replacing the excuses that swam in their wake and results are once again indicative of each team’s true ability.
Life under new manager Wilfried Nancy left a bit to be desired for the Crew. The former CF Montréal boss saw his new side secure just four points from its first four matches, but back-to-back dominant displays have given this marriage a new outlook.
A grain of salt. Perhaps the perfect idiom for MLS Matchweek 5. As teams traversed the FIFA-recognized international break, it became abundantly clear that some squads were better at handling life without their superstars than others. This imbalance made for some surprising results, but overall, a thoroughly entertaining week of games.