By Victor Araiza
FC Cincinnati will look to secure its best-ever finish in the Leagues Cup on Wednesday when it hosts Chivas de Guadalajara at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.
HEAD TO HEAD
- 3rd meeting all-time
- FC Cincinnati won both previous meetings by a 3-1 scoreline, at Leagues Cup 2023 and the Leagues Cup Showcase 2022
- Record at Leagues Cup: FC Cincinnati (6-3), Chivas de Guadalajara (1-5)
LAST FIVE GAMES
- Cincinnati:
- 3 Wins, 1 Draw, 1 Loss
- Won their opener 3-2 over Monterrey and then lost in penalty kicks to Juárez.
- Chivas:
- 2 Wins, 2 Draws, 1 Loss
- Eliminated from contention following losses to the Red Bulls and a PK win over Charlotte.
MAIN STORYLINES
- Cincinnati has won seven of its last ten matches across Leagues Cup and MLS play.
- FC Cincy holds a home record of 6-3 in Leagues Cup matches; two defeats on penalties.
- Evander is among the top performers in the Leagues Cup with two goals and two assists. He joins Paulinho and Ángel Correa with at least 4 goal contributions thus far.
- Chivas de Guadalajara earned its first ever Leagues Cup victory in the penalty shootout against Charlotte.
- The Liga MX powerhouse seeks a momentum victory before returning to league play.
KEY FACTORS
- Cincinnati:
- Evander is the main piece for FC Cincinnati with 19 goals and 11 assists in all competitions during the 2025 season.
- Pavel Bucha and Luca Orellano are other players to watch on offense, each with a goal in the tournament and over a handful of assists in MLS play.
- Evan Louro featured in goal against CF Monterrey, with Roman Celentano getting the start against FC Juárez.
- Chivas:
- Goalkeeper Raúl Rangel had two saves and a stop in the penalty shootout against Charlotte FC.
- Richard Ledezma is coming off his first goal with the club since joining this summer.
- Armando González struck the match-winning penalty and scored a brace in league play before the Leagues Cup.
WHAT TO EXPECT
With four points already earned, Pat Noonan’s side is aiming for a win to boost its chances of advancing to the Quarterfinals. Despite a favorable historical record against Chivas, the MLS club remains cautious of the Liga MX powerhouse.
“They’re very good,” said Noonan. “The results weren’t there for them to advance in the competition, so that brings some uncertainty as to what we’ll see—whether they stick with the group that’s played the first two games or rotate the lineup. Either way, they’re a strong team with the ball and are stepping up defensively as well.”
Chivas, meanwhile, has been officially eliminated from contention following Tuesday’s results. The club earned a penalty shootout win over Charlotte FC, but a stoppage-time loss to the New York Red Bulls in their opener proved costly.
Despite having no path forward, Chivas head coach Gabriel Milito emphasized the importance of finishing the tournament strong.
“We’re going to play it very seriously,” said Milito. “This third game should help us continue to gain momentum, improve in some areas, and reinforce what we’ve done well. We’ll try to win the game even if our chances are gone—our responsibility is always to represent the club in the best way possible.”
FC Cincinnati will look to capitalize on home-field advantage and lock in a spot in the next round as Phase One draws to a close.
