Less than one month from now, the Seattle Sounders will square off with Real Salt Lake on July 22 in their opening match of the revamped Leagues Cup.
An unprecedented and ambitious soccer venture, the new Leagues Cup features MLS and Liga MX in a month-long, World Cup-style tournament. Beyond the regional bragging rights and a new trophy, this tournament presents a pathway to Concacaf Champions League and significant cash prize for the winners.
“I always find it intriguing to play against different competition from different countries,” said SoundersFC goalkeeper Stefan Frei. “We’ll treat it with the utmost respect… It’s an opportunity for guys to go chase some good bonuses, win another trophy, potentially, but also for guys to get minutes.”
The Sounders have been placed in West Group 2 alongside Real Salt Lake and Liga MX giants C.F. Monterrey.
From the group stage to the championship match, Leagues Cup will feature 77 matches and 47 teams. There will be 15 groups comprising three teams each, with reigning MLS Cup champions LAFC and reigning Liga MX winners Pachuca receiving a bye for the group stage. The top two teams from each group will advance to a single-elimination knockout round.
Should the Sounders advance past the group stage, they would face the winners of West Group 3 (Club Léon, LA Galaxy, Vancouver Whitecaps) or the runners-up in West Group 1 (Tigres UANL, Portland Timbers, San Jose Earthquakes).
“These are good opponents and I think everyone’s going to be gunning for that trophy, added Frei.
The Sounders boast a rich history against the biggest clubs from Mexico. In the club’s earlier days, the Rave Green picked up several historic results against Liga MX sides, including a 1-0 road victory over C.F. Monterrey in 2011 and a two-legged 3-1 aggregate victory over Tigres UANL in the following year.
During Seattle’s Leagues Cup run in 2021, they dismantled Tigres 3-0 and edged past Santos Laguna 1-0 before falling 3-2 to Club Léon. The following year, the Sounders dominated Club Léon before beating Pumas UNAM 5-2 on aggregate in the final to become the first MLS club to win Concacaf Champions League.
Leagues Cup presents an opportunity for the Sounders to continue to make history against the clubs that have historically ruled the region.
“[Liga MX] has been a powerhouse in this region for the longest time,” said Frei. “For us to finally break through [in CCL] once – it was a historic team. That’s all good, but I think the more you can have meaningful games where both sides are really buying into it, the better it is. I think the better it is for the market on both sides, and the better it is for players and the competition against each other to raise each other’s levels.”
You can get tickets for Sounders FC’s Leagues Cup match against C.F. Monterrey on July 30 HERE.
