Austin FC to Face Mazatlán FC, FC Juárez in Leagues Cup 2023 Group Stage
January 20, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS) - Austin FC News Release
Austin, TEXAS - Austin FC was drawn with Liga MX clubs Mazatlán FC and FC Juárez for the Leagues Cup 2023 group stage. As a result of its fourth-place finish in the 2022 MLS Supporters' Shield standings, Austin FC is a seeded MLS team for Leagues Cup 2023. Location, dates and kickoff times for these matches will be announced in the coming months.
Leagues Cup is a new, first-of-its-kind tournament featuring all 29 MLS and 18 Liga MX clubs. Both leagues will pause their respective seasons for the month-long event beginning on Friday, July 21 with the final taking place on Saturday, August 19.
The tournament will be played across the U.S. and Canada. The champion, as well as the second and third place finishers, will qualify for the Concacaf Champions League and the opportunity to earn a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup.
The inaugural edition of the new competition will feature 15 groups consisting of three (3) teams. Teams in each group will play each other once at the home venue of the group's seeded MLS team, with the top two (2) teams from each group advancing to the knockout rounds. Liga MX champions CF Pachuca and MLS champions Los Angeles FC receive byes directly to the knockout rounds.
Matches cannot end in a tie with League Cup's unique format. In the event a group stage match is tied at the end of 90 minutes, both teams receive one (1) point. The winner of the ensuing penalty shootout receives an additional point.
Austin FC had a historic 2022 season, finishing in second place in the MLS Western Conference and tying the league record for the largest points improvement by a second-year expansion team (+25). Austin also became only the third MLS team to advance through its first two rounds of postseason play in club history, defeating Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas to reach the Western Conference Final.
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