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2024 Leagues Cup Format Revealed: Draws for Red Bulls and NYCFC Groups Announced

NYCFC and the Red Bulls face off again in the 2024 Leagues Cup, promising another round of intense local competition and bragging rights battles.

Contest format for the 2024 Leagues Cup revealed: New York Red Bulls and New York City FC receive...
Contest format for the 2024 Leagues Cup revealed: New York Red Bulls and New York City FC receive their group assignments

2024 Leagues Cup Format Revealed: Draws for Red Bulls and NYCFC Groups Announced

2024 Leagues Cup: MLS and Liga MX Teams Form Groups for Interleague Battle

The 2024 Leagues Cup, a highly anticipated soccer tournament featuring teams from Major League Soccer (MLS) and Liga MX, is set to begin its second year of competition. This year, the tournament will see 36 teams, consisting of the top 18 clubs from both leagues, battle it out for a spot in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup and the chance to represent their region at the FIFA Club World Cup.

The teams are divided into two geographic regions: Eastern and Western, each with 18 teams equally from MLS and Liga MX. Each region’s 18 teams are organized into three tiers of six teams each, based on their rankings. Group 3 in the East Region consists of Club Tigres, Club Puebla, and Inter Miami.

In the East Region, FC Cincinnati, NYCFC, and Club Queretaro make up Group 1, while the West Region's Group 1 includes CF Monterrey, Pumas, and Austin FC. The East Region's Group 2 is composed of Orlando City, Atletico De San Luis, and CF Montreal, and the West Region's Group 2 features Chivas De Guadalajara, San Jose Earthquakes, and LA Galaxy.

The competition will run from July 26 to Aug. 25, 2024. During Phase One, each club plays three matches against teams from the opposite league within their set, focusing exclusively on interleague play. Teams earn points in a league-specific table based on results against opposite league opponents. Matches cannot end in a draw; tied matches go straight to penalties to determine the winner.

The top four teams from each league’s table advance to the Quarterfinals, where MLS teams face Liga MX teams based on inverse rankings. The knockout rounds are single-elimination, with winners advancing, and losers being eliminated, with a third-place match for semifinal losers.

The Leagues Cup will also introduce a three-tiered ranking system based on a team's points accumulated in their last 34 regular season matches. The MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew and Liga MX champions, Club America, receive an automatic bye to the Round of 32.

Some teams participating in the 2024 Leagues Cup include the New York Red Bulls and NYCFC, who faced each other in the Round of 32 of the 2023 tournament, with the Red Bulls winning against NYCFC 1-0 before falling to the Philadelphia Union in the Round of 16 via penalties. The Red Bulls and NYCFC have been drawn into different groups for this year's tournament. NYCFC has been drawn into East 1 with FC Cincinnati and Club Queretaro, while the Red Bulls are in East 6 with Club Pachuca and Toronto FC.

Other notable matchups include Philadelphia Union, Charlotte FC, and Cruz Azul in Group 4 of the East Region, and Columbus Crew and Club America receiving automatic byes to the Round of 32 in the East Region. The West Region features groups such as Club Pachuca, New York Red Bulls, and Toronto FC in Group 6, and Atlanta United, Club Santos Laguna, and DC United in Group 7 of the East Region.

With the 2024 Leagues Cup promising intense interleague competition, soccer fans across North America are eagerly awaiting the start of this exciting tournament.

In this annual soccer tournament, clubs from Major League Soccer (MLS) and Liga MX compete against each other in various groups, with Inter Miami, Club Tigres, and Club Puebla included in Group 3 of the East Region. Additionally, fans will have the opportunity to witness exciting matchups in football, such as NYCFC playing against FC Cincinnati and Club Queretaro in the East Region's Group 1, and the New York Red Bulls taking on Club Pachuca and Toronto FC in East Region's Group 6.

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