By Justin Ruderman
Another electric atmosphere is guaranteed at Dignity Health Sports Park on Thursday night in the first match of a doubleheader as reigning Concacaf Champions Cup winners Cruz Azul take on Leagues Cup 2025 third-place finishers, Colorado Rapids.
HEAD TO HEAD
- 1st ever meeting
- Record at Leagues Cup: Cruz Azul (4-5), Colorado (6-4)
LAST FIVE GAMES
- Cruz Azul
- 2 Wins, 2 Draws, 1 Loss
- Suffered a 7-0 loss to the Sounders in their first match and bounced back with a penalty win vs the Galaxy, but are officially eliminated from contention.
- Colorado
- 2 Wins, 1 Draw, 2 Losses
- Defeated Santos in their opener but lost to Tijuana in their 2nd game.
MAIN STORYLINES
- Third-place finishers in last year’s tournament, the Colorado Rapids will not be advancing past Phase One of this year's tournament.
- Cruz Azul suffered the worst loss in Leagues Cup history, 7-0, at the Seattle Sounders in their opening match of the tournament.
- Despite mustering a penalty shootout win against the LA Galaxy in their second Phase One match, the reigning Concacaf Champions Cup winners have been eliminated from Leagues Cup 2025.
- This is the first match of a doubleheader at Dignity Health Sports Park, followed by LA Galaxy vs. Santos Laguna to close out Phase One.
KEY FACTORS
- Cruz Azul
- A LIGA MX veteran, LIGA MX All-Star and Mexican international, 34-year-old striker Ángel Sepulveda is showing no signs of slowing down with four goals in his first three games of the Apertura season, including a hat trick. He just needs to translate the goals to Leagues Cup.
- Creative midfielder Carlos Rodríguez scored the only Cementeros goal thus far in Leagues Cup for his third in as many games. Can the Mexican international score in two consecutive games on the same pitch?
- La Máquina fans made up the vast majority of the sold-out Dignity Health Sports Park crowd against hosts LA Galaxy on Sunday night. The percentage will be even higher against the visiting Colorado Rapids and Cruz Azul must use the support to their advantage.
- Colorado
- U.S. international Zack Steffen is continually fighting for the No. 1 job on the national team with every performance. The 30-year-old is top three in goals prevented among MLS goalkeepers this season and can earn the Rapids points they may not deserve with his elite shot-stopping.
- Rafael Navarro is the club’s leading goalscorer in all competitions, including a brace in Colorado’s Leagues Cup opener. What will the 25-year-old Brazilian produce in their final Phase One match?
- Without Djordje Mihailovic as the hub of their attack, who will pick up the offensive slack?
WHAT TO EXPECT
Los Celestes supporters sold out Dignity Health Sports Park on Sunday night for their penalty shootout triumph over the LA Galaxy, in what was a much-needed bounce-back performance following their 7-0 to Seattle. Before heading back into the Apertura season, manager Nicolás Larcamón is expectedly eager to steady the Cruz Azul ship in his first season at the helm with three points against Colorado.
The Rapids, on the other hand, have more than pride to play for. Although the fate is not in their own hands, with a bit of help and a win on Sunday, Colorado could still be headed to the Leagues Cup quarterfinals for a second straight season.
They’ll have to do it away from home, without their top goal contributor, against the reigning CCC holders. It won’t be easy, but if Colorado can pull it off, the obstacles will only make success taste that much sweeter.
