By Jon Arnold
Crazy nights with goals galore are nothing new for Leagues Cup, but this was different.
There were 28 goals scored Thursday, an average of more than four per game. It was a day that started with dramatic action as FC Cincinnati and Monterrey went back-and-forth in a 3-2 win for the MLS side and was capped by the Seattle Sounders’ 7-0 thrashing of Cruz Azul and the LA Galaxy pouring it on late to beat Tijuana, 5-2.
“We played against the CCC champions. They’re the best team in Concacaf, and we scored seven. Let that sink in,” Seattle Sounders manager Brian Schmetzer said after his team’s big win, encouraging his team and Sounders fans to enjoy the result before looking toward the rest of the tournament.
Saturday’s teams tried to top the record, falling four goals short with 24 on that night’s slate. What’s clear is that Leagues Cup teams are scoring goals like never before, and fans are enjoying the offensive explosions.
The tournament may be primed for high scores. With the cross-league contests, defenders are playing against attackers they may not be familiar with and facing teams that utilize patterns they haven’t seen.
A large contributing factor is this year’s format switch. The top four teams from each league will qualify for the quarterfinals, while the rest will see their Leagues Cup journeys come to an end - the hope of earning a top three spot and the Concacaf Champions Cup place that comes with it also dying.
With both leagues seeing teams get hot starts, plenty of managers are preparing for the possibility that tiebreakers decide the top four spots.
While greater number of wins in regular time is the first tiebreaker, the second is goal difference. The third is goals scored. That means there is real incentive for teams to score as many as possible, even when the result looks secure like it did for the Sounders late against La Maquina.
A 7-0 result certainly draws the attention, especially for the Sounders since they were able to claim some amount of revenge for a Concacaf Champions Cup defeat to Cruz Azul earlier this year. But they weren’t the only team happy to better their position with a load of goals on Matchday Two.
FC Juarez put four past Charlotte FC, underlining teams’ desire to score early and often to improve their chances of getting to the quarterfinals.
“It’s so important in a tournament that is decided by details. Having been able to earn a plus 3 goal difference ends up being very positive,” said FC Juarez manager Martín Varini after his team’s 4-1 win over Charlotte helped kick off Thursday night’s goal avalanche.
Bravos were able to get an additional pair of points with a shootout victory against FC Cincinnati - though a 77th minute own goal meant they couldn’t increase their goal difference with the 90 minutes finishing level at 2-2.
It’s become a frequent occurrence during Leagues Cup; flip on a match on Apple TV and see a crooked number already on the scoreline. América and Minnesota United each bagged three - simultaneously Pumas and Atlanta United were locked in a five-goal thriller. Orlando City kept pushing even with a 2-1 advantage and earned a 3-1 win over Atlas that boosts its chances of moving on after an opening-day draw and shootout loss against Pumas.
More and more clubs will continue to put the pedal down, even when other formats might see them knock the ball around, make some defensive changes and protect their advantage.
Teams may not be aware of the collective record, but the bar has been set. The record for most goals in one night of Leagues Cup play stands at 28. With teams motivated to get as many goals as possible, some going into the final night of play knowing exactly what they need, it’s a record that may be in risk every night for the rest of the tournament - much to the delight of fans of attacking soccer.
