4 issues for Revolution followers to know in regards to the Leagues Cup

New England Revolution

The month-long expanded match affords the prospect for an additional trophy, but additionally the potential for an extended layoff.

The Revolution will journey to New Jersey to play the Crimson Bulls on Saturday (7:30 p.m.), but it surely gained’t be a daily season MLS recreation.

As an alternative, it’s set to be each groups’ debut within the Leagues Cup, a newly expanded match that can throw MLS and Liga MX groups into a large, month-long competitors.

It’s the newest — and by far the biggest scale — instance of the 2 North American leagues discovering a technique to compete with one another, and affords one other alternative for Bruce Enviornment’s workforce to win some silverware.

What’s the Leagues Cup?

Initially created in 2019, the Leagues Cup was designed to carry MLS and Liga MX into extra direct competitors on an annual foundation.

The 2019 and 2021 editions have been far smaller tournaments, nevertheless, with simply eight groups (4 from MLS, 4 from Liga MX).

In 2023, each leagues will pause their home seasons and launch each workforce into the match. Meaning 29 from MLS and 18 from Liga MX (47 in whole).

The competitors will run from July by August, with the ultimate set for Aug. 19. All video games will likely be streamed on MLS Season Cross on Apple TV.

What does this imply for the Revolution?

Every workforce within the Leagues Cup was drawn into a bunch, much like a World Cup-style match. New England was drawn with New York and Liga MX aspect Atlético San Luis.

No video games will finish in ties, with a penalty kick shootout figuring out the winner if a recreation finishes deadlocked on the finish of regulation. One level will likely be awarded to groups that draw, with a further level being awarded to the workforce that wins on penalties (three factors will likely be given for a regulation win).

Ought to the Revolution qualify for the knockout stage — the highest two groups from every group advance — it can imply entry right into a 32-team bracket. (Two groups, Los Angeles FC and Pachuca, have been given byes to the knockout stage as respective home league champions.)

The Revolution have been positioned into the “East 4” group and — in the event that they advance — are slated to face both the winners or runners up from the “East Three” group within the knockout spherical (comprised of New York Metropolis FC, Toronto FC, and Atlas).

Will there be important lineup modifications?

With no league video games till the match is over, this implies the Revolution may have a big hole within the schedule if New England fails to advance out of the group stage. Following the July 26 group stage recreation at Gillette Stadium in opposition to Atlético, the subsequent MLS league recreation (away at Nashville) isn’t till Aug. 20.

Because of this, Enviornment will undoubtedly play his finest lineup, if solely simply to stop his workforce from a surprisingly lengthy in-season layoff.

“We wish to try to win some video games, so we get out of group play,” Enviornment mentioned following final week’s 4-0 win over D.C. United.

Nonetheless, New England (like every workforce within the Leagues Cup) was allowed to call an expanded, 30-player roster for the match, and it may provide an opportunity for a number of new gamers to make their debuts.

Tomás Chancalay, the 24-year-old winger who New England just lately acquired on a mortgage deal from Racing Membership in his native Argentina, would possibly get his first minutes for the Revolution in Leagues Cup play. Fellow new additions Ian Harkes (who has already made fairly an affect in two video games) and Mark-Anthony Kaye — who New England acquired in a commerce with Toronto for midfielder Latif Blessing — are additionally anticipated to function.

“This competitors isn’t any completely different than MLS common season video games, so we’re going to place the workforce on the sphere that may assist us get three factors,” Enviornment instructed Seth Macomber. “That would clearly contain each [Ian] Harkes and Mark-Anthony Kaye. [Tomás] Chancalay gained’t be in Boston till subsequent week, and we look ahead to his arrival.”

What does Enviornment consider Leagues Cup as compared with MLS Cup?

The at all times outspoken Enviornment has taken just a few jabs on the timing of the match, noting in early June that the schedule made it “very awkward.”

“It’s attainable on this competitors, should you don’t get out of group play, you’re off for 2 or three weeks,” he mentioned.

Nonetheless, Enviornment has ample expertise managing in tournaments of this model. In any case, he led the US males’s nationwide workforce by a number of World Cups.

However does he worth Leagues Cup on par with MLS Cup (one thing he’s gained 5 occasions)? As ordinary, Enviornment — responding to a query following the win over United — couldn’t assist however be blunt.

“I’d most likely say MLS Cup is a bit bit larger than that.”