Leading up to the July 21 launch of Leagues Cup, we'll be previewing all 47 teams, group by group.
In this article, we take a look at the 12 groups making up the Central section of the bracket.
Central 1
Club América
Seed: No. 1 Liga MX
Odds: +900
Why they can win it all
They will be expected to win it because, as the Real Madrid of Liga MX, ending the tournament as champions is the only option. They certainly have a roster of important players and they just added arguably the best player in the league, transferring Julián Quiñones from Atlas.
The team is still transitioning under head coach Andre Jardine — but with an attacking corps that also includes Henry Martin, Jonathan Rodríguez, Diego Valdés, Brian Rodr íguez and U.S. men’s national team forward Alejandro Zendejas, expect them to go far in the tournament.
Player to watch
Quiñones is in the prime of his career and has already helped Tigres UANL and Atlas to multiple Liga MX titles. He is just starting his time at Club America, but with all the help he will have, expect lots of goals and accolades.
The X-factor
Whether it's rising goalkeeper Luis Malagón, second to Guillermo Ochoa on Mexico’s Gold Cup squad, or longtime backup Óscar Jiménez who gets minutes in Leagues Cup, America’s defensive efforts will start with whomever is in goal. The better the play, obviously, the better the chances at winning it all.
Columbus Crew
Seed: No. 15 MLS
Odds: +5000
Why they can win it all
The Crew have fantastic players at the 9 and the 10 with Cucho Hernandez and Lucas Zelarayan, respectively, and Zelarayan is not so far removed from his time at Tigres — though he’s definitely stepped up his production and impact from his days in yellow and blue. Also, Wilfried Nancy is just getting started with Columbus after building a reputation as one of MLS’s elite coaches with Montréal.
Player to watch
We’ve gushed a little bit about Zelarayan already, so let’s talk a bit about Cucho. He’s got 32 matches in MLS so far and has 14 goals and 13 assists so far. This year, it’s been an odd striker year in that he’s got just five goals but 10 assists … but it all adds up to nearly a goal contribution per game. He’s not quite as clear an All-Star snub as Julian Carranza at the striker position, but this is a tournament in which Columbus could make a deep run and Cucho could put himself more squarely on people’s radars.
The X-factor
Assuming he’s through whatever took him out of the Gold Cup — he departed early for “personal reasons” — All-Star Aidan Morris has quietly and surprisingly become a linchpin for the Crew. He could help Nancy and his teammates make a deep run.
St. Louis City SC
Seed: No. 28 MLS
Odds: +4000
Why they can win it all
No one picked St. Louis to do much of anything at all when the 2023 MLS season started. At the All-Star break, they led the West, handling a rough patch in which their two best offensive players are injured. They’re like the Red Bulls in the best ways possible and not like them in ways that count, and though they’re in a really tough group, they can also knock out a tournament favorite within their own group.
Player to watch
Assuming Eduard Löwen’s good to go — and judging from his recent free kick goal against Miami, he's over his injury — he’s the straw that stirs the drink for St. Louis. While Joao Klauss got a lot of attention early in the season with his knack for opportunistic goals, Löwen’s been a primary player in the feel-good story that St. Louis has been.
The X-factor
If a match should ever come down to needing a stop in goal, Roman Burki’s among the best in the league, and was the obvious choice for All-Star voters at what is quite a packed position.
Group Matches
- Columbus Crew vs. St. Louis City SC, Sunday, July 23, 7:30 p.m. ET, (Lower.com Field, Columbus, Ohio)
- Club América vs. St. Louis City SC, Thursday, July 27, 10 p.m. ET (Citypark, St. Louis, Mo.)
- Club América vs. Columbus Crew, Monday, July 31, 8 p.m. ET, (Lower.com Field, Columbus, Ohio)
Central 2
Puebla
Seed: No. 6 Liga MX
Odds: +4000
Why they can win it all
Puebla’s last title conquest came by way of the Clausura 2015 Copa MX when the likes of Cuauhtémoc Blanco and Hérculez Gómez helped the team lift a cup. It’s going to take a similar effort from older stars Federico Mancuello and Pablo González, the two important players in midfield. Puebla has two young guys in attack in Ángel Robles and Kevin Velasco and Larcamon’s former assistant Eduardo Arce is now tasked with getting the most out of this team. Perhaps the sum of all parts can result in a one-month cup run.
Player to watch
Guillermo Martínez is the experienced man up top that will be responsible for goals. If he can get on a roll, then there’s certainly reason to think Puebla could do enough to advance to the next round.
The X-factor
Martín Barragán led the team in goals two seasons ago but he’s outside of the starting picture. While going 90 minutes may not be in his future, he is a good spark on the bench and a player with a knack for goal.
Minnesota United FC
Seed: No. 10 MLS
Odds: +8000
Why they can win it all
If you’re good at the 9 and 10, as we said with Columbus, you can do quite a bit in a tournament setting. Though prodigal son Emanuel Reynoso and newcomer Teemu Pukki are still working on developing their chemistry, they could be a force should they start truly clicking by the time Leagues Cup starts. They also have, in Canadian international Dayne St. Clair, a tournament-tested goalkeeper who won the MVP in last year’s All-Star Game facing Liga MX’s best.
Player to watch
Even though there’s talent throughout the attacking core, it’s Reynoso. He’s about as skilled a No. 10 as there is in MLS, and the more he rounds into form after an extended offseason — for concerning personal reasons, by the way — the more likely it is he’ll get back to what he once was.
The X-factor
How good a coach is Adrian Heath? While it’s harsh to say he’s gone through strikers like Dude Wipes, he hasn’t been as patient as you might want him to be with his personnel, but he also hasn’t really arrived at an answer up top even though he’s been able to make the playoffs consistently. Maybe Pukki’s finally the No. 9 that Heath’s looking for and we can then see him be the coach he can truly be?
Chicago Fire FC
Seed: No. 23 MLS
Odds: +10000
Why they can win it all
So, the Fire winning is a bit of a longshot, but they’ve found some degree of mojo again with Frank Klopas taking over coaching duties for the perhaps-unfairly-dismissed Ezra Hendrickson. And they’ve put together some decent, recent 1-0 wins. Sometimes, that’s all it takes.
Player to watch
Xherdan Shaqiri hasn’t been the best MLS player since arriving in the league, but he’s still one of the best-paid, and he’s immensely talented. He’s shown that at points under Klopas … and he’s still good enough to heat up and impact a tournament.
The X-factor
Kei Kamara’s on this team. Kei Kamara’s a legend. Who’d love to see Kei Kamara have an MVP-level performance in Leagues Cup? (Raises hand.)
Also, maybe not an X-factor, but an interesting programming note: Chicago’s home match will be at the cozier and more remote SeatGeek Stadium as opposed to their usual Soldier Field digs, which is sort of Big U.S. Open Cup energy.
Group Matches
- Puebla vs. Minnesota United FC, Sunday, July 23, 9 p.m. ET, (Allianz Field, St. Paul, Minn.)
- Minnesota United FC vs. Chicago Fire FC, Thursday, July 27, 8:30 p.m. ET (Citypark, St. Louis, Mo.)
- Puebla vs. Chicago Fire FC, Monday, July 31, 8:30 p.m. ET, (SeatGeek Stadium, Bridgeview, Ill.)
Central 3
CD Guadalajara
Seed: No. 7 Liga MX
Odds: +1600
Why they can win it all
Guadalajara enters the Leagues Cup as the top team in the Liga MX table. They are a perfect 3-0-0 working in a few academy players into their debuts. This is coming off a runners-up finish in Veljko Paunovich’s first season in charge.
Goalkeeper “Wacho” Jiménez is looking to build on his best season and the team has some quality contributors in right back Alan Mozo, midfielders Fernando Beltran and Victor Guzman. They’ll get better with the coming debut of Erick Gutierrez, and the returns of Alexis Vega and Roberto Alvarado.
Player to watch
Erick Gutierrez has returned to Liga MX after spending five years at PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands. He got his first minutes with Chivas in a friendly against La Liga side Athletic Bilbao and, ideally, should lift this Guadalajara squad to another level.
The X-factor
Yael Padilla is on a roll after making his senior team debut. The 17-year-old scored in his first two league games and in the friendly against Bilbao.
FC Cincinnati
Seed: No. 9 MLS
Odds: +1600
Why they can win it all
They’ve been the best team in MLS this season, and they haven’t really even hit their best gear yet. Perhaps that will happen at the Leagues Cup, with Brandon Vazquez and Matt Miazga being part of a Gold Cup run with what’s been called a B team (but maybe they’re a B-plus team). Pat Noonan’s a Coach of the Year candidate once again, and if they get everything clicking, they could be a very tough out in this tournament (with a chance to follow up a Leagues Cup championship with a U.S. Open Cup semifinal win over Lionel Messi’s Miami four days later).
Player to watch
We’ll name the less obvious player as the X-factor, so let’s get the obvious candidate out of the way. It’s Luciano Acosta, a deserved All-Star (voted in, no less, and also named the team’s captain) and one of the best playmakers in the league. He had a 10-goal, 19-assist season last year, and he’s got a 10-goal, seven-assist season after 20 matches this season.
The X-factor
Obinna Nwobodo might be the best player in MLS you’ve never heard of — he’s a ball-hawking defensive midfielder integral to what Cincy does. Oh, and there’s a new DP attacker in Gabon international Aaron Boupendza, who might be Knifey Lion’s answer to Denis Bouanga.
Sporting Kansas City
Seed: No. 21 MLS
Odds: +8000
Why they can win it all
Alan Pulido’s still one of the best strikers in MLS (or Liga MX, when he's there) when he gets going. He hasn’t been going a lot during his tenure with SKC, but is rounding into form now, and might be angling to get back to Liga MX next year. (Apparently Chivas, who landed in SKC’s group, is interested in reuniting with him.) Also, this is the obligatory time to mention Peter Vermes being the longest-tenured coach in MLS.
Player to watch
Pulido’s the focal point of the offense and Johnny Russell is much of the heart and soul of the squad, but Erik Thommy might be the most pivotal player to what SKC does, helping SKC to a second-half resurgence in 2022 and contributing for this better midseason run of form the team’s had after a disastrous start.
The X-factor
Maybe, just maybe, Pulido auditions for Chivas and ends up putting on a masterclass in the group stages, and SKC goes on a run from there. It’s more plausible that SKC’s the odd team out in this group, but we’re trying to be positive here.
Group Matches
- FC Cincinnati vs. Sporting Kansas City, Sunday, July 23, 7:30 p.m. ET, (TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio)
- Chivas vs. FC Cincinnati, Thursday, July 27, 8 p.m. ET (TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio)
- Sporting Kansas City vs. Chivas, Monday, July 31, 10 p.m. ET, (Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kan.)
Central 4
Nashville SC
Seed: No. 8 MLS
Odds: +2200
Why they can win it all
Hany Mukhtar. Also, they have a stout defense, maybe the best in the league, and Gary Smith just keeps chugging along in his fourth year coaching Nashville, which makes him the 9th-most tenured coach in MLS. Now that they've got a true target striker to complete Mukhtar, they’re going to be even more of an MLS Cup contender than they already are. Also, Hany Mukhtar. That can't be emphasized enough.
Player to watch
I mean, we could be cute here and say something like Jacob Shaffelburg, a Canadian international winger who’s actually a nice and dynamic addition to the Nashville offense. But who are we kidding here? Mukhtar’s got 13 of the Yotes’ 31 goals this season, plus eight assists. That’s nearly 70 percent of their goals he’s touched!
The X-factor
Geodis Park (we're not capitalizing GEODIS) can fit 30,000 fans, and in the right instances, 30,000 amped-up fans. They could get a few home games and have full momentum going into the later rounds.
Toluca
Seed: No. 8 Liga MX
Odds: +2500
Why they can win it all
They're discreetly one of the winningest teams in Mexico. Toluca has won the third most Liga MX championships behind Club America and Guadalajara. They don’t get the love nationally a team those accolades should have and neither does their coach, Ignacio Ambriz, who some pundits consider the best active Mexican coach. Ambriz has a career that spans over 20 years and includes a stint in Spain as a head coach and assistant to former Mexico national team coach Javier Aguirre.
Toluca reached the Apertura 2022 final under Ambriz but were pummeled there. They are essentially a dark horse team yearly and their dynamic nature makes them an exciting team to watch. The “Red Devils” are managed in midfield by Chilean Claudio Baeza and have added some young signings in Paraguayan forward and Mexican-American left back Mauricio Isais, recently a champion at Pachuca.
Player to watch
Edgar Ivan Lopez is one of the young Mexican forwards to watch and was called up to the Mexican national team back in March. With five goals during the Clausura 2023 season, two of which came in a playoff brace, “Gacelo” is expected to make a big jump in production and has already shown a capability to score spectacular goals.
The X-factor
Brazilian goalkeeper Tiago Volpi is another player to watch simply for the attitude and bravado he brings to each game. He is also one of the team’s prime penalty kick takers, already converting two this season to make him the team’s leading scorer in the early season. Expect him at the penalty marker if there’s a PK in favor of Toluca this Leagues Cup.
Colorado Rapids
Seed: No. 17 MLS
Odds: +10000
Why they can win it all
Rafael Navarro is a new DP striker signing from Palmeiras who’s not like all the other Rapids signings that have come before him. Colorado reportedly spent some serious money on him, more than they did for Kevin Cabral, which was one of their name offseason moves. It’s +10000 odds for a reason, but Navarro makes them more interesting.
Player to watch
Micheal Barrios is still one of the fastest players on an MLS soccer pitch (or maybe he just seems that way). Then again, he’s pretty much leading the club in production right now with two goals and two assists. No one on this team has more than two goals. It. Is. Mid-July.
The X-factor
Robin Fraser’s one of the best coaches in MLS and is also one of 10 who have been with their club three years or longer. It’s a shame he’s going to probably get the Wooden Spoon this year. Unless Navarro really catches fire, that is.
Group Matches
- Nashville SC vs. Colorado Rapids, Sunday, July 23, 8:30 p.m. ET, (Geodis Park, Nashville, Tenn.)
- Nashville SC vs. Toluca, Thursday, July 27, 8:30 p.m. ET (Geodis Park, Nashville, Tenn.)
- Toluca vs. Colorado Rapids, Monday, July 31, 9:30 p.m. ET, (Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Colo.)