Credit: LA Galaxy
Phase one of the 2025 Leagues Cup concluded on Thursday, starting with Charlotte shutting out Monterrey 2-0 at Bank of America Stadium. Bill Tuiloma put Charlotte up in the 56th and Tyger Smalls doubled the lead in the 60th minute.
The Red Bulls beat Juarez 5-3 on penalties after drawing 1-1 at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Dylan Nealis put New York up in the 47th and Oscar Estupinan equalized for Juarez in the 87th minute. Juarez failed to convert in the second round of penalties while the Red Bulls converted all five of their penalties.
Cruz Azul beat Colorado 5-4 on penalties after drawing 2-2 in Carson. Rafael Navarro put the Rapids up in the 3rd and Andreas Maxso doubled the lead in the 41st. Colorado gave up an own-goal in the 43rd and Cruz Azul’s Ignacio Rivero equalized in the 78th minute. The Rapids didn’t convert in round two of penalties while Cruz Azul went five-for-five from the spot.
Chivas won 2-1 at Cincinnati, going ahead from an Efrain Alvarez penalty in the 25th. Armando Gonzalez doubled the Chivas lead in the 57th. Andres Davila pulled a goal back for Cincinnati in the 67th. Cade Cowell subbed on for Chivas in the 63rd minute and Richy Ledezma was on the bench.
“I think collectively we lacked a little bit of creativity and movement off the ball,” Cincinnati coach Pat Noonan said. “I think it was too predictable when they were pressing us and some of the options for our back line as the game progressed, I think it improved. Maybe that was personnel, maybe that was just how the game unfolded with them playing with a lead. But yeah, lacked a little bit of creativity, and some of the movements I think were too slow to create more challenging situations for them.”
The LA Galaxy shutout Santos Laguna 4-0 at home. Joseph Paintsil opened the scoring for the Galaxy in the 1st and Matheus Nacimento doubled the lead in the 39th. Santos Laguna’s Choco Lozano saw red in the 45th. Maya Yoshida added an LA goal five minutes into first-half stoppage time. Santos Laguna saw a second red card, with Ramiro Sordo exiting six minutes into first-half stoppage time. Nascimento scored again for the Galaxy in the 74th.
The result meant the Galaxy took the final quarterfinal spot on the MLS side of the bracket, joining Seattle, Inter Miami, and Orlando City. The Liga MX quarterfinal representatives are Toluca, Pachuca, Tigres, and Puebla. The Leagues Cup used greater number of wins in regulation as the first tiebreaker
2025 Leagues Cup Knockout round
Toluca vs Orlando City
Seattle vs Puebla
Pachuca vs LA Galaxy
Inter Miami vs Tigres
Moving to the opening legs of third round Europa League qualifying, Erik Palmer-Brown’s Panathinaikos drew 0-0 at home with Shakhtar Donetsk. In the UEFA Conference League third round opening legs, Kenny Saief subbed out in the 64th for Maccabi Haifa’s 1-0 win at Rakow. Ethane Azoulay scored in the 61st minute.
Did Not Play: Konrad De La Fuente (Laussane 3 – Astana 1)
FRIDAY’S SOCCER TV
African Nations Championship on beIN Sport: Algeria vs South Africa at 10am. Club friendlies on ESPN Deportes: Monaco vs Inter Milan at 2pm. Super Lig on beIN Sport Gaziantep vs Galatasaray at 2:30pm. Championship on CBS Sports: Birmingham City vs Ipswich Town at 3pm. Primeira Liga on GolTV: Casa Pia vs Sporting at 3:15pm. Uruguay’s Primera Division on GolTV: Torque vs Boston River at 6pm. Liga MX on FS1: Tigres vs Puebla at 11pm ET.
WEEKEND SOCCER TV
Saturday has the Championship on CBS Sports: Coventry City vs Hull City at 7:30am. Club friendlies on ESPN Deportes: Wolverhampton vs Celta de Vigo at 10am. Fox Deportes has West Ham vs Lille at 10am and Marseille vs Aston Villa at 1pm. Ekstraklasa on beIN Sport: Arka Ddynia vs Pogori Szczecin at 11:30am and Widzew Lodz vs Wisla Plock at 2:15pm.
Uruguay’s Primera Division on GolTV: Progreso vs Cerro Largo at 10am and PEnarol vs Nacional at 2pm. NWSL on ESPN: Gotham FC vs Washington at 12pm. Canadian Premier League on Fox Soccer Plus: Cavalry vs Halifax at 5pm. USL Championship on TUDN: Lexington vs Phoenix at 6pm. Peru’s Primera Division on GolTV: Universitario vs Sport at 7:30pm. MLS on FS1: Sporting Kansas City vs San Diego at 8:45pm. Liga MX on Univision: Club America vs Queretaro at 9pm. TUDN has Atlas vs Pachuca at 11pm.
Sunday has the Scottish Premier League on CBS Sports: Aberdeen vs Celtic at 7:30am. Championship on CBS Sports: Leicester City vs Sheffield Wednesday at 11:30am. Ekstraklasa on beIN Sport: Jagiellonia Białystok vs Cracovia Krakow at 11:30am and Legia Warszawa vs Katowice at 2:15pm. Primeira Liga on GolTV: Famalicao vs Santa Clara at 12pm and Braga vs Tondela at 3:30pm.
Uruguay’s Primera Division on GolTV: Cerro vs Racing at 10am and Miramar Misiones vs Liverpool at 5:30pm. NWSL on CBS: Chicago vs Bay at 2pm and Portland vs Seattle at 4pm. Club friendlies on ESPN Deportes: Villarreal vs Aston Villa at 3pm. Peru’s Primera Division on Fox Deportes: Sporting Cristal vs Melgar at 12pm. Canadian Premier League on FS2: Vaour vs Ottawa at 3pm. Fox Soccer Plus has Vancouver FC vs Pacific at 6pm. Honduran Liga Nacional on Fox Deportes: Olimpia vs Juticalpa at 7:15pm.
Liga MX on Univision UNAM Pumas vs Necaxa at 8pm and Santos Laguna vs Chivas 10pm. MLS on FS1: LA Galaxy vs Seattle at 10pm.
Monday has Ligue 2 on beIN Sport: Amiens vs Reims at 2:45pm. Primeira Liga on GolTV: Porto vs Vitoria Guimaraes at 3:45pm. Liga MX on TUDN: LEon vs Monterrey at 9pm and San Luis vs Cruz Azul at 11pm. Universo has Juarez vs Toluca at 11pm. All Times Eastern
Quotes courtesy of MLS team press releases.
