The second volume of a story whose creators want to turn into a successful saga begins, although some of its protagonists are not so convinced of the conditions under which it is being carried out.
Tonight marks the opening of the 2024 edition of the Leagues Cup, the tournament between the 18 clubs of Liga MX and the 29 of Major League Soccer (MLS) that grants a ticket to the Concacaf Champions League.
All 77 matches that will be played between July 26 and August 25 will be in the United States, and that has been the core of the discontent of the teams that belong to Mexican soccer.
“If I could bet on the future, I imagine the same competition with stronger forms and for a longer time, because we have to take advantage of the possibility of having two countries to strengthen their leagues, and this tournament can help with that,” said André Jardine, América coach, during the All-Star Game, in which the Liga MX representatives beat the MLS star team 4-1.
“There is the possibility of having a longer competition, with home and away matches,” the coach continued.
Mexican clubs are always visitors in this competition, except when they face another team from Liga MX.
Inter Miami welcomed its star Lionel Messi with the title of this tournament in its first edition. That, and the controversial elimination of the Eagles in the previous edition, against Nashville (round of 16), are the excuses with which the Mexican teams participated.
In addition to that, the Leagues Cup arrives when only four rounds of the Apertura 2024 have been played, which will be suspended for a month, to make way for this binational championship.
“I don’t think that would have been accepted in Europe (for their own tournament), but it is part of the growth of two leagues and a rivalry,” said Frenchman André-Pierre Gignac, emblem of the Tigres de la UANL. “The United States is also a show and it’s cool,” he said.
Because none of those involved deny that the economic factor is central to an event that is uncomfortable for some Mexican clubs, although they all want to win it, due to the rivalry that exists with the North American teams.
“I think it is the beginning of a very good idea, but the financial aspect is prevailing and that is also important,” said Jardiné.
“However, to be fair and so that the Major League (MLS) teams also suffer with the pitches and temperatures in Mexico, this tournament will be a home-and-away tournament… I have no doubt about it,” the coach concluded.
A year ago, of the Mexican teams, only Monterrey reached the semifinals, while Querétaro was the only one to accompany them to the quarterfinals.
The Liga MX teams are clear that it is time to change history.
Format
In this edition, 45 of the 47 participating teams will be divided into 15 groups with three teams each (with at least one team from each league in each sector).
During the first round, the teams from each group will play each other to determine the top two teams from each group, who will advance to the knockout round.
This year, in the event of a tie in the group stage, they will play a penalty shoot-out in which the winner will receive an extra point.
The current champions of each of the leagues, América (Liga MX) and Columbus Crew (MLS), are the teams that will not participate in the group stage; they qualified directly for the round of 16.
From this round onwards, a “kill or be killed” match will be played, in which in the event of a tie the winner will be decided in a penalty shootout.
The group stage, which begins today, will end on August 6. The champions will open the second round on the 9th.
The final will be played on August 25.— EL UNIVERSAL
#Leagues #Cup #Diario #Yucatán
2024-08-06 07:34:53
