Nashville SC won 5-4 on penalties, after drawing 2-2 against Club América in the Leagues Cup round of 16. The MLS side started the match on the front foot, forcing América goalkeeper Luis Malagón into a 4th-minute save, but neither team threatened much the rest of the half and the score was 0-0 at the half.
At the start of the second half, the intensity picked up and in the 61st minute, Walker Zimmerman broke the stalemate with a header off a corner to make it 1-0.
Both teams went back and fourth on the attack the rest of the match. In the 78th minute, América’s Diego Valdéz scored an equalizer to make it 1-1. Then four minutes into stoppage time, Julián Quiñones converted a penalty to give América a 2-1 lead. In the waning moments of the match, Nashville’s Sam Sturridge headed in an equalizer to make it 2-2 and send the match to penalties.
The Major League Soccer won 6-5 in the penalty shootout but not without drama. After América’s Malagón thought he made a game-winning save, it was called back for him being off his line. Nashville converted the retake and eventually won. Nashville SC will take on Minnesota United FC in the quarterfinals.
The Philadelphia Union maintained its unbeaten streak at home against the New York Red Bulls following a 4-3 penalty shootout win over their Major League Soccer Eastern Conference rivals. The Union haven’t lost a match at home against New York since 2018 and in the process, punched its ticket into the Leagues Cup 2023 quarterfinals.
For a little over an hour, the Red Bulls held on to a 1-0 lead thanks to a 4th-minute goal from Elias Manoel. Philadelphia had two chances on net, but Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel did well to keep them out of the net. But the Union’s flood of corners became too much for New York to handle. In the 68th minute, Nathan Harriel rose up in fro the mass of bodies to head the cross into the back of the net to make it 1-1 and eventually force penalties.
Philadelphia goalkeeper saved the first penalty kick of the night and his teammate Jesús Bueno converted from the spot at the end of the shootout to clinch a win for the Union.
Minnesota United eliminated Toluca FC in the Leagues Cup round of 16 following a dramatic 2-2 draw and a 4-2 win in penalties.
Minnesota United jumped out to a two-goal lead thanks to goals from Joseph Rosales in the 13th minute and Bongokuhle Hlongwane in the 32nd minute.
But Toluca FC came roaring back in the second half. Valber Huerta cut the lead to one in the 66th minute with a long-distance goal from outside of the box. Ten minute later, Minnesota United committed a foul in the box, and Toluca goalkeeper Thiago Volpi converted the penalty kick to make it 2-2.
Although both teams had their chances to win in regulation, neither found the back of the net. In the penalty shootout, Minnesota converted on all of their kicks while Toluca FC missed on two of theirs, handing Minnesota United the win.
CF Monterrey won 1-0 over Club Tigres, winning Clásico Regio and advancing to the Leagues Cup 2023 quarterfinals. The match started with intensity as the two rivals traded attacks back and forth in each other’s attacking third.
The intensity remained in the second half with goalkeepers Nahuel Guzmán and Esteban Andrada, doing everything they could to keep the match scoreless. But, in the seventh minute of stoppage time, los Rayados were awarded a penalty.The Spaniard Sergio Canales converted his kick and sealed the win.
CF Monterrey won the Clásico Regio and punched a ticket to the Quarterfinals. They will Los Angeles Football Club.
A scoreless first half for Los Angeles Football Club was followed up with a barrage of goals in the second half en route to a 4-0 win over Real Salt Lake to advance to the Leagues Cup 2023 quarterfinals. Dénis Bouanga led the LAFC attack with a brace.
Following a scoreless first half, it took less than ten minutes for LAFC to break the scoreless stalemate. After collecting a turnover, Matuesz Bogusz sent a long ball upfield toward a sprinting Bouanga. After bringing down the ball with his head, he quickly cut to his right to cross up his defender before firing a shot inside the far left post to make it 1-0. Just four minutes later, it was Bouanga again, this time stealing a ball right off the foot of a slow RSL defender and beating the goalkeeper easily to make it 2-0.
Nathan Ordaz and Filip Krastev added goals of their own to put the match away. LAFC will now take on CF Monterrey on August 11th at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
