A total of six red cards were handed out Saturday at the Leagues Cup, you combine that with all the late-game drama going around and you have the makings of another great night of action. Three of the night's six games went to penalty kicks, and all but one game tonight were decided by one or fewer goals.
Orlando City kicked off the night by ending Atlas' chances of lifting the Leagues Cup trophy. The Lions were led by a stellar performance by Martín Ojeda and now sit within reach of one of the Knockout Stage spots. You could hear a pin drop at Chase Stadium when Lionel Messi went down early in their meeting with Necaxa. Messi would leave the match but Inter Miami would really on the back of Rodrigo De Paul to win in penalties.
'Coco' Carrasquillo added two more goals to his tournament tally, and Pumas held on to beat Atlanta to place themselves in good position to advance. América showed incredible resiliency coming back from three separate deficits to defeat Minnesota in penalties and keep their Knockout Stage hopes alive.
Atlético San Luis and Real Salt Lake were the third game of the night to go to penalties, with Atlético San Luis getting their first win ever in Leagues Cup. The last game of the evening saw the Timbers cement their spot atop the MLS table with their second consecutive clean sheet, this time against Querétaro who were eliminated from contention.
ORLANDO CITY vs ATLAS
A stellar performance from Martín Ojeda helped keep Orlando City in the fight for a spot in the Leagues Cup Knockout Stage. A solid win for Óscar Pareja’s team, who defeated Liga MX side Atlas de Guadalajara 3-1 at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando.
Orlando still has hope of reaching the next phase. For now, Los Leones sit among the top four in the MLS standings with four points. As for Atlas, they’ll be playing for pride in their last match as they become the first Mexican team officially eliminated from advancing.
INTER MIAMI vs NECAXA
What was written in the game preview quickly unraveled just 15 minutes into the match, when Lionel Messi exited with an apparent injury. Moments later, Telasco Segovia fired in a wonderstrike to give Necaxa the lead, but Maxi Falcón was sent off with a red card just minutes later — all before the 20-minute mark.
Inter Miami would ultimately prevaii in penalties as Luis Suárez converted the decisive kick, squeezing his shot in off the crossbar. Now sitting on five points, Inter Miami must wait — and hope other MLS sides fail to win in regulation — if they are to advance out of Phase One of the Leagues Cup.
PUMAS UNAM vs ATLANTA
We knew it was going to be close, but the late drama had everyone on the edge of their seats as Pumas comes back to beat Atlanta United 3-2 to climb positions in the Leagues Cup table. Atlanta now drops to 0-2 in the tournament and are officially eliminated from contention.
As for Pumas, they will now prepare to face an Inter Miami CF team that has 5 points just like them, as both teams will battle for a spot int the knockout stages in a final phase one matchup.
CLUB AMÉRICA vs MINNESOTA UNITED
If you enjoy drama, this was the game for you.
In a match they never led, América personified resilience by erasing three separate deficits to send their 3-3 draw with Minnesota United to penalties, where Luis Malagón came up trumps to set off the limbs among a raucous pro-Las Águilas crowd at Shell Energy Stadium on Saturday night. América will play the Timbers hoping to reach six points and sneak into the Knockout Stage.
Minnesota United heads back home to Allianz Field on Wednesday to host San Luis in their final Phase One match, hoping seven points would be enough to reach the quarterfinals.
REAL SALT LAKE vs ATLÉTICO SAN LUIS
Atlético de San Luis is victorious for the first time in Leagues Cup, defeating Real Salt Lake 4-1 on penalties after a 2-2 draw on Saturday at America First Field in Sandy, Utah.
João Pedro, Benjamín Galdames, Miguel García and Aldo Cruz all converted for the Potosinos in the shootout to earn two points and stay alive in the race for the Knockout Round.
Both sides will now go into their 3rd games looking for a win and some luck in order to grab one of the Knockout Stage spots.
PORTLAND TIMBERS vs QUERÉTARO
There weren’t many goals, but the Portland Timbers controlled the flow of the game and capitalized on a man advantage to beat Club Querétaro 1-0, moving closer to securing a spot in the Leagues Cup knockout stages.
After a convincing win in their previous match, the MLS side entered as clear favorites against a struggling Mexican team — and it showed from the outset, with sharp transitions that created early chances. The Timbers now sit atop the MLS table with six points and a +5 goal differential giving them a great opportunity at reaching the quartefinals.
