Philadelphia Union begin their third-ever Leagues Cup campaign this week, hosting Cruz Azul on Thursday, August 6th to open their Phase One schedule.
Leagues Cup is an annual, Concacaf-sanctioned tournament that brings together 18 LIGA MX teams and 18 qualified MLS clubs in a fully interleague format, to play for a Concacaf Champions Cup qualification. The top three finishers will earn Concacaf Champions Cup qualification -- the Leagues Cup champion advances directly to the CCC Round of 16. There’s alot on the line for the Boys in Blue – to support the squad as their homestand continues, click here for tickets or tune in on Apple TV and FS1 to watch the action.
Returning to the tournament
It’s been nearly two years since Philadelphia Union’s last Leagues Cup campaign concluded – in 2024, they finished fourth, falling to Colorado Rapids in the third-place match. The year before, they finished third.
This time, they’ll play under Ryan Richter, who’s led them to three straight MLS wins at home since taking over as Interim Head Coach in late May. Thursday’s match will mark his tournament at the helm, but Leagues Cup is one he is not unfamiliar with. Richter was Jim Curtin’s assistant in both 2023 and 2024, helping to push the squad toward third and fourth-place finishes.
Schedule
Phase One at Subaru Park
- Philadelphia Union vs Cruz Azul - Thursday, August 6th, 8pm
- Philadelphia Union vs Necaxa - Sunday, August 9th, 7:30pm
- Philadelphia Union vs Santons Laguna -- Thursday, August 13th, 7pm
Recent momentum
Philadelphia Union has built a red-hot win streak since emerging from almost two-months without play during the World Cup break, and they’ll look to keep that it tact as they continue their six-match homestand.
In their first three matches back, Milan Iloski, Kai Wagner, and Neil Pierre each tallied three goal contributions apiece, propelling the team toward a nine-point swing out of the conference basement and up the standings.
Their most recent triumph was a 3-2 comeback victory over Atlanta United on Saturday, August 1. While it was a slow start for the Union, their second half rally was one fans, staff, and players won’t soon forget.
Atlanta United went down to 10 men in the 27th minute, but Miguel Almirón quickly built a buffer for his team scoring their first in the 30th. Tristan Muyumba doubled the advantage in the 66th. The second half surge started with a goal from Philly’s finest forward at the moment, Milan Iloski, when he flicked a deflected cross from Wagner past Lucas Hoyos and into the back of net, marking his sixth consecutive MLS match with a goal for a new club record.
With directive from Richter to go for not just the draw, but all three points and a slew of attacking subs to send an even louder message, Philly pressed forward – in the 96th, Wagner found Pierre for a header equalizer. Just one minute later, Wagner sent another ball into the box toward Ezekiel Alladoh, anticipating his teammates pinpoint pass, shooting, then scoring the game-winner. Alladoh’s finish marked his first in his MLS career, extending his team’s winning streak three straight.
Positivity and competition have permeated the club’s campus in Chester, just in time to welcome Liga MX’s opponent for Leagues Cup.
Phase One, Match One
Cruz Azul is the first of three Liga MXs teams to visit Subaru Park for Phase One of Leagues Cup. They’ve also only played three matches since the World Cup break, recently starting 2026-27 Apertura. They sit at sixth place with two wins and a loss, defeating Atletico de San Luis and Puebla, then falling to Atlante.
In their last three league matches, six different players have hit the back of the net for seven total goals, with 26-year-old mexican midfielder Ángel Márquez leading the scoring by way of brace vs Atlético de San Luis.
