Leagues Cup got started with an action packed slate of games Tuesday night. Three of the games were decided by penalty kicks, with Montreal's win over León in a shooutout being the only MLS win from the night. Liga MX clubs seemed to take the results from last year's tournament to heart as they came out firing on all cylinders in 2025.
The defending champions, Columbus Crew, seemed to be on their way to yeat another Leagues Cup win in the opening match of the tournament but they allowed two second half goals and couldn't get anything going from the penalty spot late in a loss to Toluca. Puebla and Tigres may have had the most impressive showings of the night as they routed their respective MLS opponents, NYCFC and Houston.
Last year's runner-up, LAFC, dominated the possession early on vs Mazatlán but they just couldn't find the back of the net enough and ended losing in a lengthy penalty shootout. In the closing game of the night, Pachuca played spoiler to "Chucky" Lozano and San Diego's big night as they debuted in Leagues Cup with a 3-2 loss in front of a packed arena.
TOLUCA 2(4), COLUMBUS CREW 2(2)
What a way to start Leagues Cup 2025. The first match of the tournament goes to penalty kicks with a win for the Mexican side, Toluca. Given the Leagues Cup rules of no ties, two points go to the winner and one for the loser as the full time ended 2-2 and los Diablos Rojos won the penalty shootout 4-2.
Double merit for los Diablos Rojos after a great comeback from the “Dos a Cero” on the scoreboard. Columbus had the advantage and dominated the match in the early going, but that changed in the 71st minute and Toluca managed to tie just nine minutes later. They would go on to force the penalty shootout and seal a great win against the defending champions.
MONTRÉAL 1(7), CLUB LEÓN 1(6)
We knew it was going to be an exciting game, and it did not disappoint. Things got going from the start, as CF Montréal came back to win at Stade Saputo against a very talented Club León team, after a 1-1 encounter after 90 minutes and a 7-6 penalty shootout victory.
The Panzas Verdes did not waste any time to start the scoring, when at the 11 minute mark Colombian international James Rodríguez made his presence felt in his Leagues Cup debut when he delivered a cross from the right side of the field only to see his new teammate Rogelio Funes Mori deliver a strong header to score the first goal of the game and put his team in front.
After that, the team from Liga MX tried to create more danger, but the home side had something to say about that. CF Montréal started to control the ball and the game with long distance shots; they had a total of 17 in the game, with seven on target, but it was until the second half when it paid off.
CLUB PUEBLA 3, NEW YORK CITY FC 0
Club Puebla earned just their second win ever Leagues Cup with a commanding 3-0 win over New York City FC, exposing a heavily rotated NYCFC lineup. Led by a breakout performance by 23-year-old, Emiliano Gómez, who recorded a goal and a assist in his first ever Leagues Cup appearance.
Puebla sealed the result in the 88th minute when Owen González buried the third goal, officially putting the game out of reach. In stoppage time, Martinez finally gets an opportunity to make his mark and skied a promising chance—his first honest look at goal—capping a frustrating night for the Costa Rican. The Mexican side remained relentless until the final whistle, peppering Matt Freese’s goal with attempts.
TIGRES UANL 4, HOUSTON DYNAMO 1
The Tigres faithful in Houston were treated to a spectacle with a 4-1 victory from their favorite Liga MX side against the hometown Dynamo. 2022 World Cup Champion, Ángel Correa, opened his Leagues Cup career with a goal right before the end of the first half, and then completed his brace in the second half with a lovely dribble that faked out the opposing goalkeeper.
Diego Lainez joined the fun when he capitalized on an erroneous clearance from Houston, striking the second Tigres goal in the 63rd minute with a left-footed rocket from outside the box.
MAZATLÁN 1(11), LAFC 1(10)
From the moment the ball was kicked off, the home side dominated possession while creating the vast majority of chances.
Mazatlán exemplified resilience in their Leagues Cup opener, overcoming few chances and even less of the ball to beat LAFC (11) 1-1 (10) in an extended penalty shootout.
In the shootout, Los Cañoneros finished the job. Entering the 12th round of penalties with only one miss each, all-time Leagues Cup leading scorer Denis Bouanga skied his penalty to hand Mazatlán the penalty shootout victory, and an extra point in the table.
PACHUCA 3, SAN DIEGO FC 2
San Diego FC gave CF Pachuca all they had in their Leagues Cup debut, but the experience of the Liga MX team showed throughout the game as Los Tuzos held on for a 3-2 victory in their tournament opener.
The high pressure by Los Tuzos was successful and Alexei Domínguez stood out scoring two goals and assisting on another to spoil "Chucky" Lozano's night as he played his former team for the first time.
