Central 2: Who’s playing, fixtures and top players to follow

Leagues Cup 2023 is the third edition of the annual tournament between clubs from Major League Soccer and LIGA MX. The first tournament took place in July 2019 with four teams participating from each league. The first edition was a single elimination tournament hosted in the United States with the final played in Las Vegas on September 18, 2019.

However, the competition is being ramped up for the 2023 edition. This year sees an expansion to 47 clubs from MLS and LIGA MX. The top three Leagues Cup teams qualify for the CONCACAF Champions Cup with the champion receiving a bye to the Round of 16.

The new format sees all teams divided into 15 groups and distributed based on their rankings in their respective leagues in 2022. The two top teams from each group will advance to the round of 32. Only two teams will not take part in the group stage, that is Los Angeles FC and Pachuca, the MLS and LIGA MX champions, respectively. Both head straight into the knockout stages of the Leagues Cup 2023.

Which clubs are in Central 2?

The group will consist of Puebla, Minnesota United FC, and Chicago Fire FC.

When will Central 2 play their matches?

Puebla vs Minnesota -Allianz Field | July 23 | 7:00MX-9:00ET

Minnesota vs Chicago -Allianz Field | July 27 | 6:30MX-8:30ET

Puebla vs Chicago -SeatGeek Stadium | July 31 | 6:30MX-8:30ET

Who are the players to watch in Central 2?

Puebla: Federico Mancuello, Brayan Angulo, Diego De Buen, Guillermo Martinez

Minnesota: Bongokuhle Hlongwane, Emanuel Reynoso, Mender García

Chicago: Xherdan Shaqiri, Kacper Przybyłko, Jhon Durán

How were the Leagues Cup groups formed?

Teams from second to 16th place overall in MLS and LIGA MX are grouped in reverse order. This means that second place in MLS would face 16th in LIGA MX, and vice versa. The remaining teams have been drawn to form three-team groups, divided into general geographic regions.