COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – The Colorado Rapids announced today the club’s match schedule for the Leagues Cup 2023 Group Stage. Colorado will travel to GEODIS Park to face Nashville SC on July 23 before hosting LIGA MX side Toluca at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park on July 31.Â
“Leagues Cup is an important tournament with Champions League qualification on the line and provides us with a wonderful opportunity to face top LIGA MX sides in a competitive environment,” said Pádraig Smith, Colorado Rapids Executive VP & General Manager. “It’s also an incredibly exciting prospect for our fans to not only be able to cheer on their players in a new competition, but also see some of the best teams in North America go up against each other right here at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park.”
Taking place from July 21 to August 19, Leagues Cup 2023 is an official Concacaf competition that will see all 47 clubs from LIGA MX and MLS play in a World Cup-style tournament based in the U.S. The tournament winner, as well as its second and third-place finishers, will automatically qualify for the Concacaf Champions League and have an opportunity to earn a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup.Â
The Rapids, Toluca and Nashville SC will occupy the fourth group in the Central region. Leagues Cup 2023 groups are based on clubs' 2022 performance along with their geographic regions. Every team will play two matches in the group stage, with the top two teams from each group, as determined by points, advancing to the knockout stage. No matches in the Leagues Cup Group Stage will end in a tie. If a game is tied after 90 minutes, the game will proceed to a penalty shootout.
The Group Stage kicks off on July 21 and runs through July 31. Advancing teams will compete in the single-game elimination Knockout Rounds, beginning with the Round of 32 on August 2-4 (16 matches), followed by the Round of 16 on August 6-8 (eight matches). Round of 16 matches between two LIGA MX clubs will be hosted at a regional venue designated by the Organizing Committee, with DICK’S Sporting Goods Park among the pool of potential venues for such cases. Knockout Round match locations and kickoff times will be announced at the conclusion of the Group Stage.Â
The eight advancing teams will compete in the Quarterfinals from August 11-12 (four matches) before the two Semifinal matches on August 15. The Leagues Cup 2023 Final and third-place game will be played on Saturday, August 19 and determine the three clubs that will qualify for the 2024 Concacaf Champions League.
Fans in over 100 countries and regions will be able to watch Leagues Cup* on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app, which is available on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices from Roku, Amazon, and Google, game consoles, and the web at tv.apple.com.
In addition, TelevisaUnivision, FOX Sports, TSN and RDS will be the linear broadcast home for select Leagues Cup matches in the United States and Canada. Game times and broadcast assignments will be announced at a later date.
The Rapids’ game against Toluca on July 31 has been included in 2023 season ticket memberships. Season ticket members will also receive pre-sale access to purchase additional tickets to this game beginning tomorrow, March 10, at 10 a.m. Tickets will be made available to the general public on March 13 at 10 a.m. Fans can sign up for the club's Priority List to receive pre-sale access to purchase tickets for any Leagues Cup games hosted at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park during the tournament.