The knockout stage of the 2023 Leagues Cup was the second and final stage of the competition, following the group stage. The knockout stage began on August 2 and concluded with the final on August 19. The top two teams from each group advanced to the knockout stage to compete in a single-elimination tournament. There were 32 matches in the knockout stage, including a third-place play-off played between the two losing teams of the semi-finals.[1]
Format
The knockout stage of the 2023 Leagues Cup was contested between 30 teams that qualified from the group stage and two that received a bye. Matches in the knockout stage were played to a finish. If the score of a match was level at the end of 90 minutes of playing time, no extra time was played, and the match was decided by a penalty shoot-out.
Qualified teams
The top two placed teams from each of the fifteen groups qualified for the knockout stage, joining Los Angeles FC and Pachuca, who received byes to this round.
^Due to a scheduling conflict at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte FC elected to host their Round of 32 match at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, the home of FC Dallas.[2]
^The match between León and Real Salt Lake was originally scheduled to begin on August 3 at 20:30 UTC–6, but was postponed to August 4 due to inclement weather near the stadium.[3]
^The match between the Philadelphia Union and the New York Red Bulls was originally scheduled to start on August 7 at 19:30, but was postponed to August 8 due to forecasted thunderstorms.[4]
^The match between the Philadelphia Union and Querétaro was originally scheduled to start at 20:00, but was delayed to 21:09 due to a power outage at Subaru Park.[5]
^Due to a scheduled concert at BMO Stadium, Los Angeles FC hosted their quarter-final match at the Rose Bowl.[6]
References
^"Regulations – Leagues Cup 2023". Leagues Cup. July 17, 2023. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
^White, Herbert L. (July 31, 2023). "Charlotte FC hits the road for 'home' Leagues Cup date". The Charlotte Post. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
^"Club León vs. Real Salt Lake Leagues Cup match postponed due to inclement weather". MLSsoccer.com. August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
^"Philadelphia Union vs. Red Bulls Leagues Cup match postponed". MLSsoccer.com. August 7, 2023. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
^"Philadelphia Union vs. Querétaro quarterfinal delayed". MLSsoccer.com. August 11, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
^Marroquin, Emmanuel R. (August 9, 2023). "Día y horarios para los partidos de Cuartos de Final de la Leagues Cup" [Dates and times for the Leagues Cup Quarterfinal matches] (in Spanish). TUDN. Retrieved August 9, 2023.