North Charlotte Today

Charlotte FC will host Cruz Azul at Bank of America Stadium on Wednesday in their final group stage match of Leagues Cup 2024. The Mexican side, currently leading the Liga MX season, will be playing their first match of the tournament.

For Charlotte FC, this match is essentially an elimination game. The team needs a win—either outright or in a penalty shootout—to keep their knockout round hopes alive.

Match: Charlotte FC vs Cruz Azul (Leagues Cup Group Stage)

When: Wednesday, July 31

Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC

Kickoff: 8:00 p.m. ET

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Listen: WFNZ 92.7 FM (English) & WOLS 106.1 FM (Spanish)

After Charlotte FC’s loss at Philadelphia to open the group stage, the team’s knockout round qualification scenarios have become more complicated. With only three teams in the group, ties and tiebreakers are more likely. Additionally, because of the three-team groups, the final group stage match cannot be played simultaneously as it would in a four-team group. Therefore, CLTFC takes on Cruz Azul first on Wednesday before Cruz Azul travels to Philadelphia for the group's final match.

To guarantee a place in the knockout rounds without relying on results from other matches, CLTFC must achieve a multi-goal win against Cruz Azul. A victory by two or more goals would secure either first or second place in the group for Charlotte FC.

If such a win occurs, CLTFC will still need to wait for Saturday’s result between Philadelphia and Cruz Azul to confirm their qualification for the Round of 32. In this scenario, numerous outcomes could affect who advances; however, a regulation-time win by Philadelphia would ensure Charlotte FC's advancement.

Conversely, if Charlotte FC loses on Wednesday by any margin, they will be eliminated from the tournament.

Cruz Azul has started their Liga MX Apertura season strongly with notable results including wins over Mazatlan (1-0), Monterrey (4-0), and Club Tijuana (3-0), followed by a draw against Toluca (1-1). This form makes them formidable opponents compared to last year when CLTFC defeated them in a dramatic penalty shootout during the Round of 32.

Head Coach Dean Smith has led Charlotte FC to sixth place in the Eastern Conference through 25 regular-season matches and is aiming for higher positions that offer home-field advantage in playoff rounds. Recently impressive performances include victories over top contenders like FC Cincinnati and draws against Columbus Crew and Austin FC within eight days.

The focus now shifts entirely to Leagues Cup with an opportunity for Charlotte FC to secure its first-ever trophy following their initial loss to Philadelphia.