By Franco Dominguez
Necaxa will begin its international campaign on Thursday when it takes on Chicago Fire at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, as part of Matchday 1 of the Leagues Cup. The club from Aguascalientes and the Windy City's representative will meet for the first time in an official competition.
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
- 1st matchup between the two sides
- Record at Leagues Cup: Necaxa (2-6), Chicago (1-4)
LAST FIVE GAMES:
- Chicago Fire:
- 3 Wins, 0 Draws, 2 Losses
- Necaxa:
- 2 Wins, 1 Draw, 2 Losses
MAIN STORYLINES:
- Chicago Fire FC enters a new era as global icon Robert Lewandowski prepares for his Leagues Cup debut following one of the most significant signings in MLS history.
- Returning to Leagues Cup after a one-year absence, Chicago Fire looks to build on its 2023 knockout-stage appearance after a Phase One exit in 2024.
- After reaching the Leagues Cup knockout stage in 2024, Necaxa will look to rebound from a Phase One exit in 2025.
- Necaxa's lineup is being reorganized: Following their recent performance in the domestic league and the disciplinary sanctions they received, the Necaxa manager will look to adjust his squad to avoid conceding any easy goals in the United States.
KEY FACTORS:
- Chicago:
- Robert Lewandowski's talent has changed the dynamic and expectations of the club, especially if he is able to replicate what he did on his debut match.
- Home play is when Chicago has produced its best results, they are the 4th best home team from their Conference in the MLS and they hope to keep it that way in Leagues Cup.
- Chicago posseses a good offense to compliment Lewandowski with players such as Robin Lod and Philip Zinckernagel, who takes place as the lead scorer of the team with Cuyper's departure.
- Necaxa:
- The defense led by Alexis Peña and Agustín Oliveros will have its biggest test as they try to contain a once in a lifetime forward such as Robert Lewandowski.
- Julian Carranza is the offensive reference for this club and has scored on each of the games in the Liga MX. Can he keep up the scoring and do the same here in this Cup?
- Lorenzo Faravelli and Daniel Leyva lead Necaxa's midfield as Ricardo Monreal and young stud Pedro Pedraza could be interesting names to watch coming from the bench.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
Offense is expected to dominate this game, especially with Chicago Fire's newest strike Robert Lewandowski making his debut in this tournament and trying to lead the Fire for some more home cooking.
Club Necaxa has to be careful to not commit any fouls near the inside area that could create chances for set pieces where the home team can display the aerial game searching for Lewandowski's strikes.
But los "Rayos" also have the capability to create havoc against the home team, with players like Julian Carranza, Lorenzo Faravelli and Ricardo Monreal who have performed well offensively and try to take advantage of counter attacks and transition.
Chicago Fire enters as one of Matchday 2's biggest favorites, earning 62% of the market compared to just 18% for Necaxa as the MLS side looks to take advantage of home field in its Leagues Cup opener.
