Revenge, rivalries, storylines and more: reasons to get excited about Leagues Cup

Whether you have been counting down the days, dreading the month-long break from league play, or are simply impartial, Leagues Cup 2023 is here. Despite the onslaught of negativity this tournament has received in its build-up, I am open to giving it a fair chance, and here is why:

Messi Mania

Love him or hate him, the greatest player in the sport’s history is making his debut in American Soccer, and who wants to miss that? Friday night’s opening clash between Inter Miami and Cruz Azul will feature Lionel Messi’s Miami debut, and seeing him thrown right into a knockout competition will undoubtedly be must-see TV.

Miami has nothing to lose in the grand scheme of things, sitting bottom of MLS, so why not push all the chips in? Miami’s Leagues Cup matches will be worth watching regardless of how far they go.

March Madness Scheduling

Fans of College Basketball’s Postseason will love how Leagues Cup is scheduled. The Group Stage of Leagues Cup features 45 matches in just ten days, many overlapping during the primetime window. Add to this the fact that three-team groups ensure that every game has high stakes, and you practically have knockout soccer all night, every night, for a couple of weeks.

Revenge

Who is not instantly drawn in by that word? Over a dozen former MLS players are returning to the country where they used to play, which makes for revenge stories all around the country. But diving deeper reveals many opportunities for players and teams to right past wrongs.

The South 3 group hosts Messi’s stateside arrival, and MLS legend Josef Martinez gets to play against his former club, Atlanta United. Martinez, a Five-Stripes legend, netted a brace in his first meeting with his former club. The stakes are raised from that early season bout when the teams meet again in this tournament, with a potential need for Miami to win to stay alive.

Moving north to the East 3 group shows a rematch of last season’s Campeones Cup, where NYCFC defeated Atlas. That match was branded as a final by the region and genuinely felt like one, with surprising intensity. After a game featuring chippy fouls and heated moments, I am eager to watch these two meet again.

I limited the variety for this topic to ensure I only advertised games guaranteed to happen; however, this one is too good to leave out. If Club León manages to top their group, we would be just one round away from a Concacaf Champions League Final rematch in the quarterfinal of this tournament. LAFC and León met in a thrilling final last month, and seeing the two meet again in LA would be special.

Rivalries

Continuing to look at the potential knockout matchups has been the most exciting part of this for me. With the bracket divided into four geographic regions, the opportunity for rivalries to renew in a knockout match is high.

If the groups go as I predict, the Round of 32 alone will contain the following: Portland vs. Seattle, Nashville vs. Cincinnati, Philadelphia vs. D.C., NYCFC vs. New York Red Bulls, and Orlando vs. Miami. Almost every MLS team that gets out of the group stages will be set to meet a local rival in the knockout stages. This is great for the neutral, and the regional set-up allows fans to travel and create exceptional atmospheres all month.

I have no idea how successful this tournament will be, but I do know that next month contains 77 matches, Messi’s debut, local rivalries, revenge stories, and so much more. Add to this list that each game is sent to penalties after regulation if tied, and we are in for entertainment of the highest order.