By Tony Álvarez
This matchup has everyone talking, as the second day of action in Leagues Cup will feature a team that is coming in hot and another one that is always a favorite to win every tournament it plays. Real Salt Lake will host Club América this Wednesday at America First Field at 9:30 p.m. ET on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
- Second ever matchup between these two sides (they faced off in the 2009 Xango Cup)
- Javier Morales scored the only goal in the game as the MLS team won the Xango Cup
- Record at Leagues Cup: Real Salt Lake (3-3), América (4-3)
LAST FIVE GAMES:
- Real Salt Lake: 4 Wins, 0 Draws, 1 Loss
- Eighth place in MLS Western Conference after 24 games played
- Club América: 1 Win, 3 Draws, 1 Loss
- In the midst of a rough stretch with only four wins dating back to the start of April (4-6-7 in that stretch)
MAIN STORYLINES:
- Real Salt Lake only has one loss since the start of June (5-1-1 in that span)
- Real Salt Lake currently sit in 8th place in Western Conference, they have a -4 goal differential
- Club América has a new attacker in José Raúl Zúñiga who recently joined from Tijuana and just scored his first goal this past Saturday
- The Águilas are seeking to snap a 9-game winless streak playing away from home; their last road win was on March 15
- Club América is the winningest Mexican club in Liga MX history
KEY FACTORS:
- Real Salt Lake
- Team set to make 2025 Leagues Cup debut at their home stadium
- Has six wins in 12 games at home in the season
- Conceded 14 goals in 13 home games this season
- Club América:
- Has two identical 1-1 draws on the road this season in Liga MX
- One of four Liga MX teams that are undefeated in the current season
- Paul Rodríguez leads the team in scoring with two goals in the current season
WHAT TO EXPECT?
The Claret & Cobalt have won 4 games in the month of July and look to finish it strong against the team with most trophies in Liga MX history. The home team for this game has won five games against Mexican teams, however they have one more loss on their record and will look to even things out to start strong in the 2025 Leagues Cup.
Braian Ojeda is a player to watch for Real Salt Lake, as he scored the game winner against San José this past weekend with less than 10 minutes to play to complete their first comeback of the year. He will be key as Club America started strong on defense, however offensively things have been different than expected, after starting the Liga MX season with only one win.
With that said, the Águilas supporters are very much looking forward to this tournament, as they look to become the first Mexican team to win the Leagues Cup to add one more trophy to their 10 different international championships.
While Club América are still looking to sign more players to boost their attack, the acquisition of José Zúñiga will provide versatility and speed to score goals often, as he comes of a season where he won the scoring title with 12 goals for Club Tijuana. He seems to fit in just right for a team that needs to deliver that final punch on offense in a Leagues Cup they so desperately want to win, and what better way to start on the right path than by opening this edition of the tournament with a win.
