- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,265,615
- Reaction score
- 59
It was a moment of frustration, a player lashing out without reason caught on a field-side camera. "MLS has to win no matter what, or what?" Tigres winger Diego Lainez said to Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton during a Leagues Cup match Tuesday, Aug. 11 in El Volcan, earning a red card in a match against the Vancouver Whitecaps that Tigres would end with nine but still win in a penalty shootout.
Some might see sour grapes or conspiracy. Tom Mayo sees fire.
"Focus on the passion on the pitch. It all begins at that core rivalry, right?" said Mayo, the Executive Director of Leagues Cup, in an interview Wednesday, Aug. 12. "It really is this core passion. Last year was great. We had the new format, and then we took the move again, four new matches in Mexico, and you're starting to watch the intensity on the field.
"The intensity stepped up again. It carries through to PKs, it carries into the game, whether these are young players that are stepping onto the field for their first international tournament, whether these are some of the more experienced players, it is such a great game to watch."
For Mayo, the incident shows part of what Leagues Cup wants — not players getting sent off for alleging officials are on the take, but players who care about representing their club and their league.
Despite coming after a full summer of soccer in the United States, which hosted the 2026 Men's World Cup, and still working to gain a foothold in the consciousness of many fans in North America, Mayo and his team are pleased with how this Leagues Cup, the fourth edition since its full launch in 2023, has been received as the knockout rounds approach.
The attendance numbers are up 14% from last year heading into the final matchday for teams, Mayo said, with organic social media views jumping 46% from last year as well. Even before the World Cup, there was an uptick, he said, as fans continually think of Leagues Cup as part of the sporting calendar.
There are matches which have produced superb atmospheres like the border battle between San Diego FC and Club Tijuana or Club América's visit to the Portland Timbers, which prompted Timbers goal scorer Kristoffer Velde to say things in the typically intimidating Providence Park were, “(Expletive). It's all yellow (shirts) people in our home, I’ve never seen this in my life."
But the quirk of this year's tournament compared to others is that matches are taking place in Mexico for the first time ever. Toluca's Estadio Nemesio Diez, the famed Estadio Azteca in Mexico City and that Tigres game at the El Volcan were scheduled, Mayo said, in part because of player feedback about the competition.
"I attended that first match, Toluca vs. Seattle, and it was incredible. 27,000 people in that building," he said. "What we've seen cascade from there ... we're really impressed. The players have performed at their best and have the passion. The rivalry is there. You can see it. It's really encouraging. What a great start to matches in Mexico."
It is fair to say Leagues Cup has not been universally beloved. Liga MX teams have struggled to secure one top-three finish and the Concacaf Champions Cup spot that comes with it, in no small part because of the discrepancy between where matches are hosted.
Many fans of Liga MX clubs are nostalgic for the days when their teams headed south, not north, playing in CONMEBOL's Copa Libertadores, the championship for South American clubs that is matched by the Concacaf Champions Cup in this region.
Those feelings only have intensified this week, with reports from Mexico indicating that some of the federation's support of Gianni Infantino can be traced to the embattled FIFA president being open to letting Mexico switch confederations.
Could Leagues Cup survive in a world in which Mexico is in another confederation, or even if it stays in Concacaf but North American teams return to the Libertadores?
While Mayo said he couldn't game out exactly how the political drama enveloping the global game would play out, the impetus for Leagues Cup would still remain.
"The premise of Leagues Cup is there are three countries that are next door to each other, right? Short traveling distances, and they've got this rivalry that's sort of 30 years old with MLS and Liga MX," Mayo said. "This is what builds the rivalry, and this is what builds Leagues Cup.
"I can't comment on the future and where they all go, but the one thing that will never change is there's going to be three countries, two leagues, and somebody's going to want to be the champion. And that right now is Leagues Cup, and that's how we're planning it for the future as well."
The goal for Mayo and his team is for both leagues to stay committed not just for another year but for many years into the future. MLS's calendar switch, which will see the league stars play in the late summer and through the spring, could give Leagues Cup an even larger platform. The swap brings both leagues' schedules into line and having Leagues Cup serve as a type of curtain-raiser.
"We're very fortunate to stay in the August window," Mayo said. "August is definitely starting to pan out as a really key time for us and a key place to keep building our identity."
An identity built on rivalry, on passion and, organizers hope, on players, clubs and their fans caring for the competition — feeling the fire (within reason) that led Lainez to lash out, that has seen plenty of other passionate moments and that leads to fun soccer, perhaps for many years to come.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Leagues Cup director touts passion in fourth edition of MLS vs. Liga MX tournament
Continue reading...
Some might see sour grapes or conspiracy. Tom Mayo sees fire.
"Focus on the passion on the pitch. It all begins at that core rivalry, right?" said Mayo, the Executive Director of Leagues Cup, in an interview Wednesday, Aug. 12. "It really is this core passion. Last year was great. We had the new format, and then we took the move again, four new matches in Mexico, and you're starting to watch the intensity on the field.
"The intensity stepped up again. It carries through to PKs, it carries into the game, whether these are young players that are stepping onto the field for their first international tournament, whether these are some of the more experienced players, it is such a great game to watch."
For Mayo, the incident shows part of what Leagues Cup wants — not players getting sent off for alleging officials are on the take, but players who care about representing their club and their league.
You must be registered for see images attach
Despite coming after a full summer of soccer in the United States, which hosted the 2026 Men's World Cup, and still working to gain a foothold in the consciousness of many fans in North America, Mayo and his team are pleased with how this Leagues Cup, the fourth edition since its full launch in 2023, has been received as the knockout rounds approach.
The attendance numbers are up 14% from last year heading into the final matchday for teams, Mayo said, with organic social media views jumping 46% from last year as well. Even before the World Cup, there was an uptick, he said, as fans continually think of Leagues Cup as part of the sporting calendar.
There are matches which have produced superb atmospheres like the border battle between San Diego FC and Club Tijuana or Club América's visit to the Portland Timbers, which prompted Timbers goal scorer Kristoffer Velde to say things in the typically intimidating Providence Park were, “(Expletive). It's all yellow (shirts) people in our home, I’ve never seen this in my life."
But the quirk of this year's tournament compared to others is that matches are taking place in Mexico for the first time ever. Toluca's Estadio Nemesio Diez, the famed Estadio Azteca in Mexico City and that Tigres game at the El Volcan were scheduled, Mayo said, in part because of player feedback about the competition.
"I attended that first match, Toluca vs. Seattle, and it was incredible. 27,000 people in that building," he said. "What we've seen cascade from there ... we're really impressed. The players have performed at their best and have the passion. The rivalry is there. You can see it. It's really encouraging. What a great start to matches in Mexico."
You must be registered for see images
It is fair to say Leagues Cup has not been universally beloved. Liga MX teams have struggled to secure one top-three finish and the Concacaf Champions Cup spot that comes with it, in no small part because of the discrepancy between where matches are hosted.
Many fans of Liga MX clubs are nostalgic for the days when their teams headed south, not north, playing in CONMEBOL's Copa Libertadores, the championship for South American clubs that is matched by the Concacaf Champions Cup in this region.
Those feelings only have intensified this week, with reports from Mexico indicating that some of the federation's support of Gianni Infantino can be traced to the embattled FIFA president being open to letting Mexico switch confederations.
Could Leagues Cup survive in a world in which Mexico is in another confederation, or even if it stays in Concacaf but North American teams return to the Libertadores?
While Mayo said he couldn't game out exactly how the political drama enveloping the global game would play out, the impetus for Leagues Cup would still remain.
"The premise of Leagues Cup is there are three countries that are next door to each other, right? Short traveling distances, and they've got this rivalry that's sort of 30 years old with MLS and Liga MX," Mayo said. "This is what builds the rivalry, and this is what builds Leagues Cup.
"I can't comment on the future and where they all go, but the one thing that will never change is there's going to be three countries, two leagues, and somebody's going to want to be the champion. And that right now is Leagues Cup, and that's how we're planning it for the future as well."
The goal for Mayo and his team is for both leagues to stay committed not just for another year but for many years into the future. MLS's calendar switch, which will see the league stars play in the late summer and through the spring, could give Leagues Cup an even larger platform. The swap brings both leagues' schedules into line and having Leagues Cup serve as a type of curtain-raiser.
"We're very fortunate to stay in the August window," Mayo said. "August is definitely starting to pan out as a really key time for us and a key place to keep building our identity."
An identity built on rivalry, on passion and, organizers hope, on players, clubs and their fans caring for the competition — feeling the fire (within reason) that led Lainez to lash out, that has seen plenty of other passionate moments and that leads to fun soccer, perhaps for many years to come.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Leagues Cup director touts passion in fourth edition of MLS vs. Liga MX tournament
Continue reading...
