The inaugural League Cup between MLS and Liga MX clubs starting this summer will feature Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and allow Mexican clubs to determine the number of foreign signings on their tournament roster, according to a document sent to all clubs. of Liga MX. BY Athletics. The document details key information for Mexican participants in the contest, which will be played exclusively in the US and Canada from July 21 to August 19.
According to the document, referees for the tournament will come from the Mexican federation (FMF), the Professional Referee Organization of the USA and Canada (PRO) and CONCACAF.
The confederation began using VAR in many competitions only in 2022, after CONCACAF debuted the technology during the men’s Nations League finals in 2021. Liga MX has used VAR since 2018. The league implemented the semi-automated offside technology in January of this year the year. MLS debuted VAR in 2017.
Liga MX teams were informed that they can register 26 to 30 players for the tournament and that a maximum of 23 players can be selected for each match day. However, Mexican teams will be allowed to select as many foreign players as they want for the League Cup. This is an interesting wrinkle of the tournament.
Liga MX has strict rules limiting the number of international signings in Mexico. In January, league president Mikel Arriola reduced the number of foreign players allowed on each roster from 10 to nine. A maximum of seven foreign players are allowed as part of a club’s starting line-up.
After being knocked out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Liga MX has prioritized giving more first-division opportunities to Mexican-born players and academy prospects. But for the League Cup, Mexican teams will be able to play their most competitive teams in order to win the competition.
Liga MX technical staff must be limited to nine people on match days and the delegation of a Liga MX team cannot exceed 45 people. According to the guidance document, each Liga MX club will receive $45,000 to cover travel expenses for the tournament’s first group stage match. The document states that teams must provide an invoice for all expenses incurred.
Teams must also arrive two days before their opening game. The document states that visa applications for Canada are required and that they should be sent to Liga MX offices in order to “expedite the process”.
Additionally, every Liga MX player must use the same jersey number they use in league play, and once the player registration period has ended, teams can substitute up to three players during the quarterfinal stage of the tournament.
In preparation for the Leagues Cup, participating clubs can schedule friendlies against international opponents in the USA and Canada until June 29. These games must be played within a 100 mile radius of the group stage host city. Friendlies can be played at a club’s venue until July 20. The tournament starts on July 21 and the final is scheduled for August 19.
The document explained many of the details of the tournament that are already public, such as the competition’s World Cup-style format and the fact that every match will be played in the US and Canada. He also confirmed that the League Cup will use an Adidas match ball, which may or may not give MLS clubs a slight advantage. Voit is the official match ball of Liga MX, while Adidas’ partnership with MLS goes back to the league’s beginnings in 1996. The CONCACAF Champions League uses Nike balls.
Under the tournament’s approved format, MLS clubs will host their Liga MX counterparts, but if two Mexican teams face each other in the knockout round, the League Cup will decide the venue between a select group of cities . In March, the Leagues Cup announced the cities that will host neutral games.
West: BMO Stadium (Los Angeles, CA), Dignity Health Sports Park (Carson, CA), America’s First Field (Salt Lake City, UT), PayPal Park (San Jose, CA).
Central: SeatGeek Stadium (Bridgeview, IL), Toyota Stadium (Frisco, TX), DICK’S Sporting Goods Park (Commerce City, CO), Shell Energy Stadium (Houston, TX).
South: Q2 Stadium (Austin, TX), Toyota Stadium (Frisco, TX), Exploria Stadium (Orlando, FL).
Birth: Red Bull Arena (Harrison, NJ), Subaru Park (Chester, PA), Audi Field (Washington, DC).
Places will be selected before the knockout round begins, which is a sound commercial decision. By remaining flexible, CONCACAF can choose the right market depending on the Liga MX matchup with Liga MX. An undisclosed percentage of tickets will be given to supporters of the Liga MX club, according to the document.
All matches will be broadcast on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass, while Univision, UniMás and TUDN will broadcast 21 Leagues Cup matches in the US TSN and RDS will broadcast the tournament in Canada.
A start time has not been announced. The document noted: “The match schedule was not released with (kickoff) times because TV windows in Mexico, the US and Canada are being evaluated.”
Finally, Leagues Cup matches will follow a concussion protocol and there will be “a pitch doctor” at every match. Liga MX clubs must travel with a staff doctor, an international health insurance policy and a portable defibrillator.
There will be a disciplinary appeals committee made up of individuals from CONCACAF, MLS and Liga MX. The document states that prize money is not determined for matches played, matches won or when clubs progress through the stages of the tournament.
(Photo: Cesar Gomez/Jam Media/Getty Images)
