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Who will Nashville SC play in the 2023 Leagues Cup? Groups revealed for MLS, Liga MX teams

Drake Hills, Nashville Tennessean
·3 min read

When the 2023 Leagues Cup halts Major League Soccer regular-season play this summer, Nashville SC will face the Colorado Rapids and Mexico's Toluca in group Central 4 of the inaugural international tournament.

The Leagues Cup is a World Cup-style tournament that includes 47 teams — 29 from MLS and 18 from Mexico's Liga MX — that'll be played in the U.S. and Canada between July 21-Aug. 19. The top three finishers will qualify for the 2024 Concacaf Champions League. Dates for group-stage games will be announced in the coming months.

Announced Friday, 15 groups were confirmed. The top 15 MLS clubs were drawn into groups based upon geographic region first and then according to their 2022 regular-season results. The top 15 Liga MX clubs were drawn based upon their 2022 regular season results and were paired in reverse order to MLS clubs (the No. 1 seed in MLS paired with the No. 15 seed in Liga MX).

The 2022 MLS Cup champion and Supporters' Shield winner Los Angeles FC, as well as 2022 Liga MX champion Pachuca, earned guaranteed spots in the Round of 32 knockout stage. LAFC will enter the knockout round in the West and Pachuca will enter in the South.

Major League Soccer and Liga MX announces the 15 groups for the inaugural Leagues Cup in summer 2023, featuring 29 MLS clubs and 18 Liga MX clubs, who will play in a World Cup-style tournament between July 21 and August 19.
Major League Soccer and Liga MX announces the 15 groups for the inaugural Leagues Cup in summer 2023, featuring 29 MLS clubs and 18 Liga MX clubs, who will play in a World Cup-style tournament between July 21 and August 19.

The remaining 13 MLS clubs were placed into groups by region. Liga MX's FC Juarez and Querétaro filled open slots in reverse order to the top MLS clubs seeded. No. 17 Querétaro was placed into the East with No. 1 MLS seed, Philadelphia Union. No. 16 Juarez was added to the South with No. 3 MLS seed Austin FC.

2023 Leagues Cup groups

Central

• Central 1: Club América (No. 1 LIGA MX), Columbus Crew (No. 15 MLS), St. Louis City SC (No. 28 MLS)

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• Central 2: Puebla (No. 6 LIGA MX), Minnesota United FC (No. 10 MLS), Chicago Fire FC (No. 23 MLS)

• Central 3: Chivas Guadalajara (No. 7 LIGA MX), FC Cincinnati (No. 9 MLS), Sporting Kansas City (No. 21 MLS)

• Central 4: Nashville SC (No. 8 MLS), Toluca (No. 8 LIGA MX), Colorado Rapids (No. 17 MLS)

West

• West 1: Tigres UANL (No. 2 LIGA MX), Portland Timbers (No. 14 MLS), San Jose Earthquakes (No. 25 MLS)

• West 2: Monterrey (No. 3 LIGA MX), Real Salt Lake (No. 13 MLS), Seattle Sounders FC (No. 20 MLS)

• West 3: LA Galaxy (No. 7 MLS), Club Leon (No. 9 LIGA MX), Vancouver Whitecaps FC (No. 16 MLS)

South

• South 1: Austin FC (No. 3 MLS), Mazatlán FC (No. 13 LIGA MX), FC Juárez (No. 16 LIGA MX)

• South 2: Santos Laguna (No. 4 LIGA MX), Orlando City SC (No. 12 MLS), Houston Dynamo FC (No. 24 MLS)

• South 3: Cruz Azul (No. 5 LIGA MX), Inter Miami CF (No. 11 MLS), Atlanta United (No. 22 MLS)

• South 4: FC Dallas (No. 6 MLS), Necaxa (No. 10 LIGA MX), Charlotte FC (No. 18 MLS)

East

• East 1: Philadelphia Union (No. 1 MLS), Club Tijuana (No. 15 LIGA MX), Querétaro (No. 17 LIGA MX)

• East 2: CF Montréal (No. 2 MLS), Pumas (No. 14 LIGA MX), D.C. United (No. 27 MLS)

• East 3: New York City FC (No. 4 MLS), Atlas (No. 12 LIGA MX), Toronto FC (No. 26 MLS)

• East 4: New York Red Bulls (No. 5 MLS), Atlético de San Luis (No. 11 LIGA MX), New England Revolution (No. 19 MLS)

For stories about Nashville SC or Soccer in Tennessee, contact Drake Hills at DHills@gannett.com. Follow Drake on Twitter at @LiveLifeDrake. Connect with Drake on Instagram at @drakehillssoccer and on Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Who Nashville SC will play in the 2023 Leagues Cup with MLS, Liga MX