After a night that saw a Leagues Cup record 28 goals scored over six matches, Friday's final tally for the night was 15. That's probably because tonight's games were tightly contested and hard-fought to the very end.
New York City FC started this night by responding to a dreadful performance on Tuesday - losing 3-0 to Puebla - by deliviring a clean sheet of their own in a 2-0 victory over León. Columbus bounced back as well, defeating Puebla 3-1 and moving all the way to the top of the Phase One MLS standings.
Toluca's center forward, Paulinho, may have given us the Goal of the Tournament this early into the proceedings by a way of a sensational bicycle kick strike that also served as the game-winning goal in their win over Montréal. Mazatlán won again, this time coming away with three points instead of two, to move to 2nd place on the Phase One Liga MX standings.
The cardiac kids, LAFC, played with 10 players for the majority of the match against a tough Pachuca squad and still managed to come away with the win in penalties. Finally, Ángel Correa notched his 2nd brace in as many games to give Tigres three more points and a really good chance at advancing to the knockout stage.
NEW YORK CITY FC 2, LEÓN 0
Both teams came in desperate for a win, but it was New York City FC who showed more urgency and walked away with a 2-0 victory over Club León, climbing up the Leagues Cup table and leaving the Mexican side on the brink of elimination.
NYCFC dominated from the opening whistle, controlling possession early and often. Alonso Martínez was back in the starting lineup and it didn't take him long to impact the game as he scored in the 7th minute and later added another assist.
New York City FC secured the three crucial points to stay alive in the Leagues Cup. While León will need a miracle to advance with just one point after two games.
COLUMBUS CREW 3, CLUB PUEBLA 1
The goals have started coming in bunches at Leagues Cup. Following the Sounders’ emphatic 7-0 win over Cruz Azul, MLS teams have taken the hint — goals matter, especially with advancement on the line.
Club Puebla entered Saturday’s match against the reigning Leagues Cup champions on the back of a win over a heavily rotated NYCFC squad. The Crew, meanwhile, were coming off a penalty shootout loss to recent Liga MX champions Toluca, leaving them in a difficult position in the group.
In front of a lively crowd at Lower.com Field, the Crew delivered a ruthless first-half performance, scoring three goals on just seven shots and never looking back,
MAZATLÁN 2, HOUSTON DYNAMO 0
Mazatlán FC docked on the Gulf Coast and left with all three points after a 2-0 win over Houston Dynamo on Friday night at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas.
The Cañoneros took the lead in the 25th minute off a corner kick, as Facundo Almada powered in a header from a well-placed service by Nicolás Benedetti. Fábio Gomes doubled the lead for the Sinaloan club in the 57th minute off another nice setup from Benedetti.
Houston is all but eliminated from Leagues Cup 2025 as they sit at 0-2 with a -5 goal differential.
TOLUCA 2, CF MONTRÉAL 1
Toluca took a big step toward the Leagues Cup Knockout Stage with another thrilling comeback, defeating MLS side CF Montréal 2-1 at Stade Saputo. With the win, Antonio Mohamed’s squad climbed to five points, and now just one step away from advancing.
Portuguese forward Paulinho stole the show once again. The red-hot European striker has now scored in four consecutive matches and sits among the top scorers in Leagues Cup 2025. His strike tonight will be hard to forget, as he found the back of the net with a stunning overhead kick that brought fans to their feet. Without a doubt, it will be a contender for Goal of the Tournament.
LOS ANGELES FC 1 (4), PACHUCA 1 (2)
Goals, Red Cards, and a Penalty Shootout — This Game Had It All
It all culminated with LAFC goalkeeper Thomas Hasal making two penalty saves to earn the shootout win following a 1-1 draw in regulation against Pachuca on Friday night at BMO Stadium.
TIGRES UANL 2, SAN DIEGO 1
Club Tigres earned a crucial 2-1 win in their push to reach the next round of the Leagues Cup, thanks to another dominant performance from Ángel Correa. His brace secured the victory over San Diego FC, who now find themselves on the verge of elimination.
After the final whistle, the Liga MX side stood in a strong position with six points, well on their way to the knockout stage. Meanwhile, the MLS newcomers dropped another match in their first-ever Leagues Cup appearance, still searching for their first point.
