MLS and Liga MX announced Thursday the qualification criteria, match dates and other details for the second edition of Leagues Cup, which will feature an expanded competition with eight clubs from each of the two top soccer leagues in North America.
The Round of 16 will commence on July 21-22, followed by quarterfinals on Aug. 4-5, semifinals on Aug. 25-26 and the final on Sept. 16.
Also new for the 2020 edition of the tournament will be the inclusion of a draw to determine the matchups between clubs from both leagues ahead of the Round of 16. MLS and Liga MX teams will be seeded and drawn to ensure the most competitive matches, with a second draw ahead of the quarterfinals, to allow for reseeding and guarantee the most interleague play possible.
Seeding for the 2020 MLS Leagues Cup participants is as follows:
- MLS 1: Philadelphia Union
- MLS 2: Real Salt Lake
- MLS 3: Minnesota United FC
- MLS 4: LA Galaxy
- MLS 5: Toronto FC
- MLS 6: D.C. United
- MLS 7: Portland Timbers
- MLS 8: NY Red Bulls
The participating Liga MX clubs will qualify through their performance across the 2019-20 Apertura and Clausura seasons – specifically the Apertura 2019 and Clausura 2020 Champions, the Champion of Copa MX, and the following five top-ranked teams in the combined 2019-20 table. As of today, the Apertura 2019 Champion, CF Monterrey, is the first team to qualify from Liga MX for Leagues Cup 2020.
The seeding order for Liga MX teams is as follows:
- LMX 1: Campeón de Campeones Champion
- LMX 2: Campeón de Campeones Runner-Up
- LMX 3: Copa MX Champion
- LMX 4-8: Top ranked Liga MX teams from the combined Apertura 2019 and Clausura 2020 tournaments
Similar to the 2019 edition, all matches between MLS and Liga MX clubs will be played in the home market of the MLS team. In the event of a same-league matchup in the later stages of the tournament, the inter-MLS games will be hosted at the MLS market of the higher-seeded team. Matches featuring two Liga MX teams, as well as the Leagues Cup Final, will be played in a neutral US-based venue to be announced.
Each participating MLS club will announce ticket information in the coming weeks. Fans interested in attending matches can sign up at www.LeaguesCup.com to receive more information on tickets when it becomes available.
The tournament – which will be broadcast on the Univision and ESPN family of networks in the United States, TSN and TVA in Canada, and Televisa in Mexico.
For a recap of the 2019 inaugural tournament check out the video below:
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