This is a matchup of the heavyweights.  We may get the best game of the night right away, unfortunately, but all eyes should be on this one.  We know all about Inter Miami.  They’ve played the most games of any team in MLS since Messi’s arrival, and they seem to be dangerous every time they’re in a knockout competition.  The biggest question mark will, of course, be Messi’s injury.  He came on as a substitute last weekend (he scored and assisted, but you could tell he was still laboring), so keep an eye out for how Javier Mascherano manages his situation.  It’s not easy to reel in the greatest player to ever play the sport, however if there’s one person who can reason with him when it comes to this, it’s Mascherano.  It’s paramount that he’s healthy for Miami’s playoff push and they can’t risk losing him for an extended period of time, but surely Miami will be expecting to compete for the Leagues Cup crown.  Will Messi come off the bench or will his head coach deem him fit to go from the start?
Tigres UANL advanced through the group stage with wins against Houston and San Diego before dropping their last game to LAFC.  They’ve started really well in Liga MX’s Apertura, with three wins and a loss to Club America.  Look out for striker Jonathan Herrera, he’s got three goals in four games in Liga MX play and is looking to emerge as the guy in Monterrey.  Angel Correa scored four goals in the group stage games, so Miami will be hoping to keep him in check as well.  As much experience as Miami has in knockout games, Tigres may be even better prepared.  They’re in Concacaf Champions Cup every single year with a chance to win.  I’ll be excited to watch the first half of this one, but the next one is my game of the round.

This is the match I’m most excited for.  Toluca were awarded with “home field advantage” for this one and promptly forced Orlando to travel cross country to Los Angeles, where they’ll be the opening game of a double header (do I hear bundle ticket sales?).  I’m honestly not sure what the selection process is for who gets the home game or where they decide to play it, but I’m here for the “well if we have to travel across the country, so do you” level of pettiness.

Both of these teams are red hot as of late.

Toluca won Liga MX Clausura in the Spring and went undefeated in the Leagues Cup group stage before drawing Orlando in the quarterfinals.  Keep an eye out for Paulinho in this one.  The Portuguese striker has scored four times in three Leagues Cup matches so far, and he was tied for the top spot in the Clausura golden boot race in the Spring.  He’ll look to add to his total against an Orlando defense that has shown to be porous at times.  Alexis Vega is another dangerous attacker for Toluca.  He’s scored 16 times and assisted on another 17 goals in all competitions for Toluca over the last year.  If one of those two are in the mood on Wednesday, Orlando’s back line will be in for quite the night.

If you’ve read any of my past few newsletters, you know how high I am on Orlando City at the moment (If you haven’t, go read them ;)).  Martín Ojeda has nine goals and 14 assists in his last 15 games for the Lions, and he might be the most in form player in MLS at the moment.  The big key for Orlando in order to move on will be one of their strikers, either Luis Muriel or Ramiro Enrique, finding the back of the net.  Orlando have only kept one clean sheet in their last 15 games dating back to the end of May, but have rarely given up more than one per game.  It will be a tall task to keep Toluca off the score sheet, so it’s pivotal that whichever of their strikers gets the nod on Wednesday is ruthless in the box.  It’s a certainty Ojeda will put them in places to score, but when the margins are so slim against such a good opponent, it’s vital that the chances the frontmen do get result in a couple goals.  I’d expect fireworks in this one and I’m really looking forward to watching it.

Seattle have been one of if not the hottest team in MLS since their Club World Cup exit, and hadn’t lost until they visited Minnesota over the weekend.  They’re battle tested to say the least, and they’ve steadily climbed the Western Conference table over the last couple months.  Danny Musovski and Albert Rusnák have each contributed 10 goals in league play this year, but their production comes from everywhere.  Jesus Ferreira and Paul Rothrock have both contributed three goals and four assists from the wing, and Cristian Roldan has held down the midfield as he’s done for so long in the PNW.  Getting goalkeeper Stefan Frei back will be a huge boost for Seattle as they hope to make another deep run in a knockout tournament.  Seattle usually expects victory, but will be a heavy favorite on Wednesday night.  They face a Puebla team who have struggled lately to say the least.

Puebla will make the long trek up to Lumen Field looking to shock the continent this week, as they’ll come in as heavy underdogs against the MLS powerhouse Sounders.  Puebla finished second to last in the 2025 Clausura and surprised pretty much everyone by qualifying for the Leagues Cup knockout round.  Fresh off the back of that, they lost 7-0 to Tigres in their resumption of Liga MX play.  The only teams Puebla have beaten since 2025 began were Santos (twice) and Club Tijuana, then New York City FC and Montreal in the group stage.  That’s not great, but here they are.  They’ll be in a similar mindset to Galaxy, who don’t have much to look forward to and will be fully invested in Leagues Cup.  The fun thing about knockout tournaments is that whatever is happening on the outside no longer matters.  It’s a chance to throw away all the outside noise and go for the cup, and that’s what Puebla will try to do in Seattle.

The LA Galaxy have had a dreadful 2025 campaign.  There’s no way around it.  By their standards and what others were expecting, they’ve been nowhere near where they want to be— nor where they should be.  Last year’s MLS Cup Champions sit in dead last place in the Supporter’s Shield standings, and haven’t showed many signs of moving out of that spot.  Sometimes you get into a funk that you just can’t seem to shake, and that’s the story of the 2025 Galaxy.  However, like Puebla, here they are.  Take away the MLS season performance of the LA Galaxy.  Their roster isn’t that bad, they’ve got a great coach, and their stars can proverbially pull a rabbit out of their hat at any moment.  They’re talented still, they have difference makers, and maybe most dangerous of all when it comes to Leagues Cup, they have nothing to lose.  I’d back the Galaxy to make a deeper run than Puebla any day of the week.  Maybe I’m wrong.  Maybe I’m the crazy one that believes they can salvage something from the year that just seems to keep kicking them when they’re down, but what can I say?  Man, I wish they were playing Puebla instead so they could get one more game of confidence before stacking up against a buzzsaw like

Pachuca.  Damn, just as I was starting to talk myself into believing the Galaxy could make a real run.  There’s no reason they can’t, as I’ve just told you, but Pachuca really are a force to be reckoned with and you KNOW what that LA crowd will be like.  When it comes to Liga MX, there are really six or seven teams that breathe the same air, and none have been as successful as Pachuca since the turn of the century.  Let’s see, seven time Liga MX Champion, six time Concacaf Champions League Winners, and hmm… let’s toss in runner’s up at the 2024 Club World Cup.  All since 2000.  They’re in first place in the young Apertura season, and they were one of four teams Liga MX teams to escape the Leagues Cup group stage undefeated.  Wins at San Diego and Houston and a draw at LAFC are strong results compared to some other group stage resumes.  A name who is looking to burst onto the scene is Jhonder Cadiz.  If that name sounds familiar, it should be for some MLS fans.  The Venezuelan spent two seasons at Nashville SC in 2020 and 2021.  He failed to make much of an impact in MLS, but the striker averaged a goal every three games for Club Leon over the past year and is off the mark to begin his stint for Pachuca with two in his first five Liga MX matches.  He’s a big, physical presence who will give the Galaxy center backs fits if not dealt with correctly.

It’s the second game of a double header at Dignity Health Sports Park (Is it still called that?), slated for 9pm local time kickoff, so unfortunately I’ll be missing this one from the east coast.  Be sure of one thing though: although you may not think so, the Galaxy can do this.  It may take the perfect storm, but never underestimate he who has nothing to lose.