For the first time in the competition’s fledgling history, the Leagues Cup’s semi-finalists are all Major League Soccer sides. Three of them are also in the top four of their Conference standings, meaning they could well battle each other for multiple titles this year.
By Neel Shelat
We are only in the fourth edition of the Leagues Cup and just the second in its current format, but it has already generated its fair share of controversies, and then some. Many have suggested that the competition is designed to favour Major League Soccer sides as all matches are held at their home venues, which is tough to refute. The expansion to a full 47-team format has also added concerns of fixture congestion, which coupled with MLS sides’ withdrawal from the US Open Cup has led to many organised fan groups calling for boycotts of the Leagues Cup.
The teams, of course, cannot afford to do that. The recently added prize of CONCACAF Champions Cup qualification for the top three (including a bye to the Round of 16 for the winners) has ensured that all participants have fielded full-strength teams, aiming to go and win the competition.
Just four teams remain this year as we have reached the semi-final stage, and all of them happen to be MLS sides who look set to pose title challenges on both fronts this year. With a diverse set of playing styles and tactical approaches among them too, we should be in for some very intriguing match-ups both in the coming days and towards the end of the year.
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew are undoubtedly enjoying their golden era. The 2023 MLS Cup champions recorded their best-ever continental campaign earlier this year as they reached the final of the Champions Cup and are set to challenge for three more titles. A big chunk of the credit must go to head coach Wilfried Nancy, whose unique tactical approach was the subject of one of our previous analysis columns.
As the reigning MLS Cup champions, they did not have to bother with the Leagues Cup group stage and were parachuted straight into the knockouts. A big 4-0 win over Sporting Kansas City was the perfect start, after which they took some big scalps by staging a late turnaround to overturn a two-goal deficit against defending champions Inter Miami before deservedly getting the better of the ever-competitive New York City FC on penalties.
Although they have had some scares, the Crew’s performances were top-notch on the whole in each of those games, earning them the highest average FotMob rating in the Leagues Cup this year.
Nancy has developed the Black and Gold into one of the most well-rounded teams in not just America but all of the world as they can control games by retaining the ball to an incredible degree with their disciplined in-possession shapes and press-resistant midfielders, unlock almost any opposition defences at will with dynamic attacking play and drop into a solid defensive block. They most certainly have all the tools to add another trophy to their cabinet.
Philadelphia Union
Despite enduring a pretty tough MLS campaign and currently sitting outside the playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia Union have managed to hit the reset button and become the only team in Leagues Cup history to reach the semi-finals in consecutive years.
Defensive solidity has been the name of the game for Jim Curtin’s side as they have let in just four goals in six games, averaging less than half of their 2024 MLS record of 1.7 goals conceded per game. Their direct attacking in a 4-3-1-2 formation has managed to catch some of their opponents off guard, but they will have to produce something special to repeat the trick in the semi-final.
The Columbus Crew will definitely be the strongest opponents the Union have faced in this Leagues Cup campaign, and they will have to do so without their tournament top-scorer Tai Baribo, who will be suspended. So, Curtin will have to figure out where his side’s goals might come from besides devising a strategy to stop the Crew’s irresistible possession play.
Los Angeles FC
LAFC trod the path of winning the MLS Cup and reaching the CONCACAF Champions Cup final a year before the Crew, and they will now seek to stop them from outmatching their achievements.
Although Steve Cherundolo is still their head coach, the side that lifted the MLS Cup and the side going for the Leagues Cup this year are very different. They were a fairly possession-based team in the past and kept nearly 52% of the ball in 2022, but have now transitioned into much more of a low-block-and-counter side.
Among many other things, they have notably changed their formation by going from a back four to a back five. This stylistic shift is perfectly aligned with the changes in their squad, enabling LAFC to remain supremely successful. They can boast of having the most goals as well as clean sheets in the Leagues Cup, with difference-makers at both ends of the pitch in Denis Bouanga and Hugo Lloris.
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids have turned their fortunes around quite dramatically between seasons. After finishing bottom of the east in 2023, they decided to undergo a bit of an overhaul by bringing in former Manchester United assistant coach Chris Armas as their new head coach and making some interesting signings of capped USMNT players from Europe.
With a new coach and core, the Rapids have adopted a free-flowing style of play focused on attacking in transition to capitalise on disorganised defences. That has led to them producing the most xG in MLS this season.
Of course, all problems cannot be fixed in just a few months, so the Rapids’ defence still is a big issue as they have conceded the joint-most goals in the Leagues Cup. They have managed to outscore their opponents at crunch time thus far, but repeating the trick in the final four will be a much tougher task.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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