Sure hope nobody is tired of all these great finishes yet. Sunday provided four more games being decided in penalty shootouts, with the Liga MX clubs showing their resiliency and winning all four.
FC Juárez and Cincinnati started off the night with the first of the four penalty shootouts. After 70 minutes dominated by the Liga MX side, Cincinnati's star player Evander responder with his involvement in both goals to tie the game and force penalties. Guadalajara and Charlotte followed them with their own penalty shootout, with the Liga MX side earning their first win ever at Leagues Cup.
Monterrey bounced back from an opening game loss by taking care of the Red Bulls in a perfect 5-for-5 penalty shootout. Tijuana and Colorado finally gave us our first game of the night to be decided in regulation, as Tijuana held off a late charge from the Rapids for their first ever win at Leagues Cup.
Seattle solidified their strong position atop the MLS standings and eliminating Santos Laguna in the process with a 2-1 win, the only MLS win of the night. Cruz Azul and the Galaxy saved the best for last with an epic 18-attempt shootout win by Cruz Azul capping another stellar night of action at Leagues Cup 2025.
FC JUÁREZ 2 (4) vs CINCINNATI 2 (3)
Juárez earned two valuable points by defeating Cincinnati on penalties (4-3), climbing to second place among Liga MX teams and moving closer to qualification for the next round. Juárez sits in a good position to advance but must still earn points from their next matchup against the New York Red Bulls.
As for Cincinnati, with the one point they now sit with four after two matches and will need all three points of their next match against Guadalajara to try to advance to the Knockout Stage.
CHIVAS GUADALAJARA 2 (4) vs CHARLOTTE FC 2 (2)
Chivas de Guadalajara tasted victory for the first time in the Leagues Cup with a 4-2 win on penalties over Charlotte FC, following a 2-2 draw in regulation at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
However, the result may not be enough for either of these sides to advance. They face a tough road ahead as they each sit with two points after two games and will need lots of help to keep playing after their next match.
MONTERREY 1 (5) vs NY RED BULLS 1 (3)
It wasn’t easy, but CF Monterrey secured two important points with a 5-3 penalty shootout win after a 1-1 draw in regulation against the New York Red Bulls in yet another tightly contested Leagues Cup match.
Rayados earned a crucial win and their first points of the tournament, while the Red Bulls—though not eliminated—must now win their group-stage finale and hope other results go their way.
CLUB TIJUANA 2 vs COLORADO RAPIDS 1
The Colorado Rapids entered Thursday night’s match looking to stay perfect in Leagues Cup play, with full control of their fate in the group stage. Standing in their way, however, was Liga MX side Club Tijuana — a stern test, even with home-field advantage.
Both goalkeepers, Zack Steffen and Antonio Rodríguez, came up big throughout the night. Each delivered several jawdropping saves that kept the match fun and competitive but despite late efforts from Colorado, Tijuana held on to claim a crucial 2-1 win.
With the result, Tijuana keeps its hopes of advancing to the knockout round alive — but must be perfect in its remaining matches. For Colorado, qualification remains within reach. A regulation win in their final group-stage game, paired with a favorable result elsewhere, could still see them through to the next round.
SEATTLE SOUNDERS 2 vs SANTOS LAGUNA 1
The Seattle Sounders secured their second straight win to remain the top team in the Leagues Cup Phase One standings.
Seattle struck in both halves, starting with an early own goal by Santos that set the tone. While the Liga MX side pushed to equalize, their open defense left space for Seattle to capitalize, and Georgi Minoungou sealed the win in the second half.
Seattle will now look to clinch a spot in the Knockout Stage in their final group game against Club Tijuana. Meanwhile, Santos falls to 0-2 and has now been eliminated from contention.
CRUZ AZUL 1 (8) vs LA GALAXY 1 (7)
Close, dramatic finishes are becoming a hallmark of the 2025 Leagues Cup, and Friday night was no exception. CF Cruz Azul needed a marathon 18-penalty shootout to defeat LA Galaxy 8-7 after a 1-1 draw in regulation, bouncing back from a crushing 7-0 opening loss.
With the win, Cruz Azul is technically still alive in Leagues Cup 2025 but their -7 goal differential drastically hurts their chances. As for the Galaxy, after an impressive 5-2 win in their opener they are still in a good spot but will now need a positive result in their final match to advance.
