Before the 2024 Leagues Cup competition kicked off, Los Angeles FC was on the short list of expected tournament contenders from Major League Soccer.
Nobody expected a semifinal run from the Colorado Rapids. Colorado entered the 47-team Leagues Cup as the 46th-seeded team. The Rapids eliminated the tournament’s top seed and North America’s most decorated soccer team — Club America — to get to this point. Club America’s stunning elimination also meant that no Liga MX club would reach the Leagues Cup semifinals.
The Rapids’ reward? A visit to Los Angeles, where their opponent just welcomed France’s all-time leading goal scorer, Olivier Giroud, to the squad.
The Rapids defeated four consecutive Liga MX opponents on their amazing Leagues Cup run. After beating 2023 Concacaf Champions League winner Club León in the final group stage game in a penalty shootout, the Rapids defeated Juárez, Toluca and Club America in the knockout rounds.
LAFC has won its three knockout round games by a combined score of 9-1, clobbering the Seattle Sounders 3-0 in Saturday’s quarterfinal to secure a home semifinal game. Giroud has appeared in the previous two matches, but LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo has so far only utilized the French soccer icon as a late-game substitute.
The winner of the LAFC-Colorado Rapids semifinal faces the winner of the Columbus Crew-Philadelphia Union game in the final. The losers will play in the third-place game. Both matches are slated for Sunday, Aug. 25, with the winner of the Columbus-Philadelphia game hosting the final. Both finalists, as well as the third-place game winner, qualify for next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup.
When is LAFC vs. Colorado Rapids in Leagues Cup?
Date: Wednesday, Aug. 21
Start time: 10 p.m. ET
Venue: BMO Stadium, Los Angeles
How to watch LAFC vs. Colorado Rapids in Leagues Cup
The semifinal match will be streamed live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Leagues Cup bracket: Remaining knockout schedule
(Game times and locations for third-place game and final will be announced once the matchups are known.)
Semifinals – Aug. 21
Columbus Crew vs. Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m. ET
Los Angeles FC vs. Colorado Rapids, 10 p.m. ET
Third place game – Aug. 25
Semifinal losers
Championship game – Aug. 25
Semifinal winners
What is Leagues Cup?
North America’s top two professional soccer leagues halt their respective regular-season competitions for a month to compete in a World Cup-style tournament.
What formerly was an eight-team tournament, the Leagues Cup evolved in 2023 into a 47-team competition featuring every Major League Soccer and Liga MX club. Inter Miami CF, led by Lionel Messi, won the first edition of the expanded competition.
Before last year’s inaugural 47-team tournament included every MLS and Liga MX club, the Leagues Cup was held twice before (2019 and 2021) with limited participation.
The 29 MLS and 18 Liga MX clubs are divided up into 15 groups in two regions: East and West. The group stage starts on July 26 and continues until Aug. 6. The top two finishing teams from each group will advance to the single-elimination knockout rounds, which start on Aug. 7. The championship match will be held Aug. 25.
Previous League Cup finals
2023: Inter Miami CF over Nashville SC, 1-1 (Inter Miami won penalty shootout, 10-9)
2021: Club León over Seattle Sounders FC, 3-2
2019: Cruz Azul over UANL Tigres, 2-1
When does the 2024 MLS regular season resume?
Most of the 29 MLS teams will return to regular-season play on Saturday, Aug. 24, when there will be 12 matches played (streaming live on MLS Season Pass).
Minnesota United vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 6:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
Charlotte FC vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m. ET
D.C. United vs. FC Dallas, 7:30 p.m. ET
Inter Miami CF vs. FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. ET
CF Montréal vs. New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m. ET
New York City FC vs. Chicago Fire FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
Houston Dynamo FC vs. Toronto FC, 8:30 p.m. ET
Sporting Kansas City vs. Orlando City SC, 8:30 p.m. ET
Nashville SC vs. Austin FC, 8:30 p.m. ET
Real Salt Lake vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 9:30 p.m. ET
LA Galaxy vs. Atlanta United, 10:30 p.m. ET
Portland Timbers vs. St. Louis City SC, 10:30 p.m. ET
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