MIAMI, Florida – The 2023 Leagues Cup Round of 32 wrapped up on Friday night with seven matches, starting off with a 1-0 win for seven-time Concacaf Champions Cup winners Club America over the Chicago Fire at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois. An own goal in the second half proved to be the difference between the two sides.
An all-MLS affair between the Columbus Crew and Minnesota United produced a thriller, with Minnesota United emerging victorious 4-3 in a penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw between the teams at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio.
Bongokuhle Hlongwane scored two goals for Minnesota United, who required a 90th minute score from Hassani Dotson just to pull level after Christian Ramirez had given Columbus a 3-2 lead in the 83rd minute.
Penalties were required to determine who advanced from the 1-1 draw between FC Cincinnati and Nashville SC at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. FC Cincinnati FW Brandon Vazquez’s 85th minute penalty conversion made it 1-1, but Nashville SC would advance thanks to a 5-4 penalty shootout victory.
Four different players found the back of the net to power Toluca to a commanding 4-1 win over Sporting Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.
After being delayed a day due to weather, Real Salt Lake rallied from an early 1-0 deficit to eliminate reigning Concacaf Champions Cup winners Club Leon 3-1 at America First Field in Sandy, Utah.
Five-time Concacaf champions Monterrey took a step forward thanks to a Maximiliano Meza goal in first half stoppage time in a 1-0 triumph over the Portland Timbers at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon.
The night then concluded with another penalty shootout, as Tigres topped the Vancouver Whitecaps 5-3 in spot kicks after a 1-1 draw between the teams at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The Round of 16 will commence on Sunday night with just one game, as Argentina superstar Lionel Messi will play his first away match since joining Inter Miami in a date with FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. Since debuting in the second half of Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup opener against Cruz Azul, Messi has five goals in three games.
