The Leagues Cup produced a pair of tightly played results Monday, with Cruz Azul beating the Philadelphia Union 1-0 and New York City FC defeating Santos Laguna 2-0, according to match results.
Cruz Azul's narrow win over the Union continued Liga MX's strong showing in this year's edition of the cross-border tournament, which brings together all 18 Liga MX clubs and 18 MLS sides in a group-and-knockout format running from August 4 to September 6.
NYCFC's shutout of Santos Laguna was the more comfortable of the two results, with the New York side controlling the match from the opening exchanges and adding a second goal to remove any late drama.
Europe's readiness checks
Across the Atlantic, the weekend's pre-season friendlies offered contrasting signals a week before Europe's major leagues resume: Manchester City closed its Asian tour with a 3-1 comeback win over Atlético Madrid in Seoul, while Arsenal and Liverpool both absorbed 3-2 defeats, per weekend fixture reports.
For MLS and Liga MX clubs, though, the stakes are already real: Leagues Cup results feed continental qualification, and the group stage's early exits start crystallizing this week.