Toronto FC will play a group stage match at home against Mexico’s Atlas FC.
The 2023 Leagues Cup bracket and schedule was released on Thursday, with Toronto FC announced as the host of one of its two group stage matches.
Group stage play will commence on July 21, with Toronto playing the first of its two matches in Group E3 on July 26 at Red Bull Arena against New York City FC. TFC will then welcome Mexican outfit Atlas FC to BMO Field for a July 30 meeting.
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TFC will go up against a Liga MX side for the first time since losing 1-0 to Cruz Azul in the quarter-finals of the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League in May 2021. The Reds will host a Mexican club at BMO Field for the first time since falling 3-1 to Tigres UANL in the final of the 2018 Campeones Cup in September 2018.
The July 30 match will be the first-ever competitive meeting between Toronto FC and Atlas. TFC currently carries a 4-10-5 (W-L-D) record against Mexican opposition. As of writing this article, tickets for the home match against Atlas are not yet on sale.
We’ve been waiting for this one, turn it up
Here’s our schedule for the 2023 @leaguescup #TFCLive | #LeaguesCup2023
— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) March 9, 2023
Also unveiled on Thursday was the full bracket for the knockout rounds, which kicks off on August 2, and culminates with a final on August 15. 2022 MLS Cup champions Los Angeles FC and 2022 Apertura winners Pachuca are waiting to be joined by 30 other clubs in the second round of the tournament.
The top two teams from each of the 15 Leagues Cup groups will move on to the round of 32. If TFC advances, they will play the winner or runner-up of Group E4 which consists of New York Red Bulls, New England Revolution, and Atlético San Luis. TFC will host their Round of 32 match only if they finish atop of Group E3. The full bracket can be found below.
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Bracket breakdown of the 2023 @LeaguesCup is here #TFCLive | #LeaguesCup2023 pic.twitter.com/uG0RpmdwFx
— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) March 9, 2023
This is the first year all teams from MLS and Liga MX are competing in the Leagues Cup. The 2023 edition will run from July 21 – August 19, 2023, putting a pause in play for the 2023 MLS season.
The Leagues Cup offers Bob Bradley’s squad another avenue to qualify for continental competition in 2024, alongside their exploits in MLS and the Canadian Championship. The 2023 Leagues Cup champ will qualify into the round of 16 for the 2024 CONCACAF Champions League, whilst the runners-up and third-place club will qualify into the first round, which is made up of 22 teams.