Pre-match Preview: St. Louis to make Leagues Cup debut in Columbus
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - St. Louis CITY SC will make its first Leagues Cup appearance this Sunday, taking on the Columbus Crew at Lower.com Field.
In its last match, CITY SC shutout Inter Miami CF 3-0 to grab its 13th win of the year. Eduard Löwen sealed the match with a beautiful strike off a free kick in the 80th minute. This was a relief to St. Louis fans, who had to watch a bulk of the July matches with Löwen on the sideline. CITY SC still holds the top spot in the Western Conference with 41 points, slowly developing a lead over No. 2 LAFC (37).
Next up: @LeaguesCup 🏆 #AllForCITY x @BJC_HealthCare
— St Louis CITY SC (@stlCITYsc) July 20, 2023
The Leagues Cup is an official CONCACAF competition to be played across the U.S. and Canada. The inaugural edition will see all 47 clubs (18 from LIGA MX, 29 from MLS) compete in a World Cup-style tournament. The champion, as well as the second and third-place finishers, will qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League and have an opportunity to earn a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Columbus Crew and St. Louis CITY SC will play in Group 3 of the Central Region, along with Club América of LIGA MX. The top two teams of each group will advance to the Round of 32. If Group Stage match ends in a tie in regulation time, both teams will receive a point. The winner of the subsequent penalty shootout will earn an additional point.
Make your picks. Win some 💰
— St Louis CITY SC (@stlCITYsc) July 20, 2023
It's your last chance to register for the @LeaguesCup Bracket Challenge presented by @CoorsLight.
➡️ https://t.co/lZECwAJK2n pic.twitter.com/Qq2CS293hD
CITY SC has had 13 different goal-scorers in MLS action, and 14 different players score across all competitions. On the road, St. Louis owns a 5-6-1 record across all competitions. Columbus enters this bout on a three-match winless streak, losing its last match 3-2 against Portland Timbers. Columbus has a 12-8-6 record across all competitions, netting 51 goals in the process. At home, the Crew is 9-1-3 this season across all competitions, with its only defeat coming against Inter Miami CF. Columbus has scored an MLS-high 30 goals at home this season and has conceded just 12 goals in that span.
Kick-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Lower.com Field. For more information on St. Louis CITY SC, check out our guide to the 2023 season.
For an exclusive look at what fans can expect at CITYPARK on match-day, click here.
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