With Major League Soccer and Liga MX on hold, we continue to roll through the enthralling Leagues Cup tournament featuring the very best from both Mexico and the United States. Today, we’ll be looking at an encounter in the round of 32 stage as Los Angeles FC and FC Juarez prepare to collide.
Los Angeles Form GuideAs the reigning champions of Major League Soccer, and as easily one of the top sides in the West this season, Los Angeles FC are riding pretty high. They’re reaching the heights that many knew they could and although they still want more after coming so close in the Champions League, we’d say they’ll be feeling good about what the future has in store, so long as they can get back on the winning trail consistently.
After getting a bye into the round of 32, Los Angeles FC should be feeling pretty confident. They managed to beat St Louis 3-0 in their penultimate game before the tournament, and then just a few days later, managed to earn a point during a trip to face Minnesota.
Juarez Form GuideFC Juarez is a club that is less than a decade old, and you can kind of tell. They just about earned 11th place in the Apertura last season but in the Clausura, they just could not get out of their own way with 15 points from 17 games. Given how young they are, though, we’d say they don’t have to worry too much about the future just yet - and they should see this tournament as them having nothing to lose.
Juarez were stunned to fall short in a 4-2 penalty shootout loss to Mazatlan after an initially positive 1-1 draw in their first game. They bounced back in style, though, overcoming Austin in a really fun 3-1 win for the Mexican side.
Match PredictionJuarez should be confident enough to push the tempo in this one and we hope that they do - within their limits, of course, given that they come across as the inferior team. It’ll be tight for the first 15-20 minutes or so but eventually, the favourites will stretch their legs, and Los Angeles will win the game.
