By Tony Álvarez
Soccer lovers, we have another marquee matchup in the Leagues Cup with two of the top clubs in North America facing each other, when Cincinnati FC hosts CF Monterrey this Thursday at TQL Stadium at 7:00 p.m. ET on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
- 3rd matchup all-time
- CF Monterrey won their previous two matches (1-0 and 2-1)
- They faced each other in the round of 16 of the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup
- Record at Leagues Cup: Cincinnati (5-2), Monterrey (5-1)
LAST FIVE GAMES:
- FC Cincinnati:
- 3 Wins, 1 Draw, 1 Losses
- One point behind MLS Eastern Conference leader Philadelphia Union
- CF Monterrey:
- 3 Wins, 0 Draws, 2 Losses
- Only Liga MX loss in the current season came against undefeated CF Pachuca
MAIN STORYLINES:
- Cincinnati FC looks for their eight win at home of the year (7-2-2)
- Evander leads Cincinnati FC in team goals, shots, assists and key passes
- FC Monterrey currently sits in fourth place in Liga MX
- Spain international Sergio Ramos to make Leagues Cup debut
- Rayados forward Germán Berterame is coming off a stellar hat trick against Atlas
KEY FACTORS:
- Cincinnati FC:
- Looks to keep clean sheet streak alive (three consecutive games)
- Kévin Denkey will be key in attack helping Evander
- Home field advantage to be a factor in this matchup
- CF Monterrey:
- Germán Berterame has scored seven goals over his last five games across all competitions
- Jesús Corona has elevated his game in the last semester
- Short summer for the team after playing in the FIFA Club World Cup
WHAT TO EXPECT?
Cincy arrives to the tournament opener in the middle of a Supporters Shield race with the Philadelphia Union and the pressure is on for them; now that same experience will be a key factor in Leagues Cup as they want to maintain their high level against a very tough opponent in CF Monterrey.
Rayados made quite an impression during their FIFA Club World Cup participation, after playing very intense games against top clubs from all around the globe. After that, head coach Domènec Torrent has been very pleased with his players in little time to work with them and now will look to capture another Concacaf tournament for their fanbase.
However, the team will be without Nelson Deossa, a dangerous player that is set to leave for Real Betis, a key loss for the team and now players like Jesús Corona and Germán Berterame will look carry La Pandilla to victory.
Both teams sit in the higher part of their respective leagues and what better way to start the Leagues Cup than by featuring a couple of squads that have trophies in their mind and, of course, a spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
