The 2023 Leagues Cup quarterfinals have come and gone. A shot at the semifinals was on the line, and four teams could punch their ticket while the other four teams were sent packing their bags for the long trip home.
Four matches were played in the 2023 Leagues Cup quarterfinal matches, where we got to see two shutout matches along with a team that has been pulling red cards all Leagues Cup. Two Liga MX teams were still fighting for the Leagues Cup trophy.
Who was able to move on, and who was sent home? Well, it is about time to find out.
Leagues Cup results: Philadelphia vs. Queretaro
With this being the second time that Philadelphia and Queretaro played each other in the 2023 Leagues Cup, Queretaro came in knowing what they needed to do to slow down Philadelphia. It did not help at all, though.
Queretaro controlled the possession battle, keeping the ball 57 percent of the time, whereas Philadelphia only kept it 43 percent of the time. Possession of the ball is always a great thing, but you need to be able to do something with those possessions. Queretaro could not do that where Philadelphia led in shots, 20-4, and shots on goal, 6-2. A red card was also handed out this match; it went to Queretaro's Omar Isreal Mendoza in the 97th minute.
Philadelphia opened the scoring in the 10th minute, with Jesus Daniel Bueno Anez gathering a ball passed through the middle of the box. It rolled right to Anez, who could get a foot on it and kick it past the goalkeeper into the lower left corner of the goal. Philadelphia led 1-0.
Queretaro was not going to lie down, though. Yes, they only had two shots on goal, but they made sure that one counted. In the 65th minute, a lobbed pass went across the field to Angel Sepulveda, who got a kick on it still in the air, causing the ball to change directions and into the lower right corner of the goal. Match tied 1-1.
Philadelphia and Queretaro continued to put pressure on each other, but Queretaro's defense started to get a little relaxed when it came up to the 90+10 minute. Philadelphia could run up the side of the field and complete an easy pass to Chris Donovan, sitting in the middle of the box. Donovan put a light tap on the ball, causing it to go past the Queretaro goalkeeper. Philadelphia won the match 2-1.
Philadelphia will move on to the semifinals and play on Aug. 15 against the winner of Inter Miami and Charlotte.
Leagues Cup results: Inter Miami vs. Charlotte
The whole soccer world was looking at Lionel Messi and what he has been doing at Inter Miami since joining. Can Charlotte cut them down and stop the bleeding that Inter Miami has been putting on everyone else?
Charlotte could not stop anything; honestly, they could not even keep the ball in their possession. Inter Miami led the possession; 62 percent to 38 percent, and led the shots on goal; 7-2. Both teams did have nine shots in the match.
Charlotte was already showing that they would have trouble with Inter Miami in the 12th minute of the match when a penalty occurred in the box giving Inter Miami's Josef Martinez a penalty shot. Martinez came up on the ball and fired it to the left bottom corner, causing the Charlotte goalkeeper to go the opposite way. Inter Miami led 1-0.
Inter Miami kept the pressure on when it came to the 32nd minute. Inter Miami's Yedlin ensured he would get into some of the action when he passed the ball to Robert Taylor coming up the middle of the box. Taylor was able to get a foot on it and get it past the goalkeeper to the lower left corner. Inter Miami led 2-0.
This differed from how Charlotte wanted to play against Inter Miami, but their luck was not even close to turning around. In the 78th minute, Inter Miami was moving down the pitch when they crossed the ball to the middle. Charlotte's Adilson Malanda saw what was happening and attempted a slide to knock the ball away. Instead, he crashed it into the back of his own goal. Inter Miami led 3-0.
In the 86th minute, Lionel Messi needed to ensure his presence was felt. A ball passed up was deflected by a Charlotte defender, but the goalkeeper could not get to it fast enough when Leonardo Campana could gather it. Campana passed it over to Lionel Messi, placing it into the goal's high center. Inter Miami led 4-0.
Inter Miami went on to stop Charlotte entirely and win the match 4-0. Inter Miami moves on to face Philadelphia on Aug. 15 in the semifinals.
Leagues Cup results: Nashville SC vs. Minnesota United FC
Minnesota's unluckiness kept rolling in this match, gathering another red card in the 34th minute, this time to DJ Taylor. Not only was the red card the unluckiness that happened, but they also had to meet Nashville, SC. Nashville led in all categories of the match, possession; 66 percent to 34 percent; shots; 20-9; and shots on goal; 7-3.
Nashville never let up on Minnesota the whole match, causing them to make mistakes and placing their defense in the wrong spots. Nashville opened the scoring in the 39th minute when Shaq Moore got a shot past the goalkeeper from the right side of the six-yard box into the bottom right corner of the goal. Nashville led 1-0.
In the 44th minute, Nashville's Teal Bunbury came up into the center of the box and received a pass from Hany Mukhtar, and placed it into the bottom right corner for another goal. Nashville led 2-0.
In the 50th minute, Nashville's Hany Mukhater came up with the ball and crossed it into the center of the box where Alex Muyl was waiting. Muyl got up and put a header on it, placing the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal, scoring, and giving Hany Mukhtar his third assist of the match. Nashville led 3-0.
Nashville wanted to continue to ensure Minnesota knew they were not here to play around. In the 53rd minute, Sam Surridge got a shot into the center of the goal from the center of the box to put Nashville up 4-0.
In the 59th minute, Nashville was given a corner that came. The ball was passed around some and then passed to Hany Mukhater, moving to the right side of the box, took the shot and scored the goal into the high center of the goal. Nashville led 5-0.
Nashville then held off Minnesota for the rest of the match to take the win 5-0. Nashville moves on to the semifinals to face the winner of LAFC and Monterrey.
Leagues Cup results: LAFC vs. Monterrey
This was the second of the MLS vs. Liga MX team. Also, Monterrey had to do everything they could to stay alive since Queretaro lost earlier in the night. Everything did not seem like it was going Monterrey's way early in the match, even if they ended up leading in all categories. Monterrey led in possession; 70 percent to 30 percent; shots; 20-13; and shots on goal; 8-7.
An early penalty, 15 seconds into the match, is different from what Monterrey needed. After a VAR review, it was confirmed that the penalty was inside the box, and a penalty shot was rewarded. LAFC's Denis Bouanga lined up for the penalty shot and scored into the bottom right corner at the second-minute mark. LAFC led 1-0
Monterrey's defense was able to start holding LAFC until the 42nd minute when LAFC's Mateusz Bogusz received a pass from Denis Bouanga at the top of the box. Bogusz lined up and powered a shot past the Monterrey goalkeeper to the top right corner of the goal. LAFC led 2-0.
LAFC went into halftime with a 2-0 lead but started to feel too comfortable. In the 68th minute, Monterrey was given a penalty shot due to a foul inside the box. Monterrey's Sergio Canales lined up for the shot and scored into the bottom right corner. LAFC led 2-1.
In the 80th minute, Monterrey was given a corner where the ball was placed into the center of the box. The ball was headed over to the right side, where LAFC's Sergi Palencia tried to get a leg on the ball out of the playing area and kicked it into his own goal. Match tied 2-2.
In the 88th minute, Monterrey started to pressure even more on LAFC. Monterrey starts to move the ball around the top of the box when a shot is taken. LAFC's goalkeeper got a hand on that shot but placed it right at the feet of Monterrey's Funes Mori, putting it right back at the goal and over the outstretched hands of the goalkeeper to take the lead. Monterrey led 3-2.
Monterrey held onto the lead through the rest of the match to make a fantastic comeback against the 2022 MLS Champions, winning the match 3-2. Monterrey will move on to the semifinals to play Nashville on Aug. 15.
