January 31, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – FC Cincinnati News Release
FC Cincinnati learned today that New York City FC and Club Querétaro have been drawn as opponents in the Orange and Blue’s Leagues Cup 2024 group, East 1, as part of Major League Soccer (MLS), Liga MX and Concacaf’s announcement of the format and groups for Leagues Cup 2024.
Tickets for home group stage games for FC Cincinnati in Leagues Cup 2024 will go on sale when the schedule and bracket is announced at a later date.
Leagues Cup 2024, the second edition of the international soccer competition featuring all 47 clubs from Canada, Mexico, and the United States, will unfold from July 26 to August 25, 2024 and will crown a winner among MLS and Liga MX clubs. It will also decide three qualifiers for the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup and an opportunity to earn a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Last season, FC Cincinnati won their group over Sporting Kansas City and Chivas Guadalajara to advance to the Round of 32, where the club fell in a penalty kick shoutout to eventual tournament runners-up Nashville SC.
Leagues Cup 2024 Format
Moving forward, the tournament will introduce a tiered Leagues Cup Ranking system, as well as hubs for the highest-ranked Liga MX clubs. The Leagues Cup ranking will be strictly based on combined MLS and Liga MX club performance based on points in the last 34 regular season matches. MLS teams will be ranked based on the 2023 MLS Supporters’ Shield standings, while Liga MX clubs will be ranked based on the cumulative 34 matches in the 2023 Clausura and Apertura tournaments.
All participating clubs – except the two Leagues’ champions – are divided into three tiers based on the Leagues Cup Ranking (1-15, 16-30, 31-45), forming 15 groups of three clubs each, one club from each tier, prioritizing geographical and competitive balance among the 45 clubs. For 2024, Leagues Cup will be played in two regions, East and West, with seven groups in the East and eight groups in the West, regionalizing travel for all participating clubs. Like the 2023 format, both Liga MX and MLS Cup champions, Club América and Columbus Crew respectively, receive an automatic bye to the Round of 32. The two champions are not included in the Leagues Cup Ranking.
The Liga MX Champion and the three top-ranked Liga MX clubs will be granted hub privileges. The hub privileges, which will minimize Liga MX club travel and reward them by playing in pre-determined venues as the home team, are based…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at OurSports Central Major League Soccer MLS News…