Leagues Cup Roundup: Cruz Azul Advance With Win Over Atlanta United

Cruz Azul forward Augusto Lotti (21) scores a goal during penalty shootout against Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan (1) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, in Atlanta on July 29, 2023. (Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports via Field Level Media)

Cruz Azul converted five straight penalty kicks in a shootout to defeat host Atlanta United 5–4 after the teams finished regulation tied 1–1 in their Leagues Cup South 3 match on Saturday.

Inter Miami are assured of advancing to the knockout stage with six points, and Cruz Azul was able to move on as well with two.

Moises scored in the 20th minute for Cruz Azul, and after Carlos Salcedo missed the team’s first penalty kick, the visitors hit five PKs in a row, capped by Augusto Lotti’s to win it.

Thiago Almada scored in the 75th minute to tie the match, and he hit one of Atlanta’s four kicks in the shootout.

Charlotte FC 4, Necaxa 1

Host Charlotte struck for three goals in the first half and never looked back to down Necaxa in a South 4 match.

Brandt Bronico opened the scoring in the sixth minute before Karol Swiderski found the back of the net in the 42nd and Scott Arfield made it 3–0 in the seventh minute of first-half stoppage time.

Patrick Agyemang scored an insurance goal in the 87th minute for Charlotte FC, who will move on to the knockout stage along with FC Dallas.

Necaxa didn’t get on the board until Vicente Poggi’s 89th-minute goal. They were playing short-handed after Edgar Mendez was issued a red card early in the second half for committing a foul.

Orlando City 3, Santos 2

Wilder Cartagena scored in the second minute of second-half stoppage time to lift Orlando over visiting Santos in a South 2 match.

Santos opened a 1–0 lead in the 41st minute when Raul Lopez sent a left-footed shot past Pedro Gallese, who finished with three saves. Duncan McGuire quickly leveled the match in the 44th minute, and the hosts went up 2–1 when Mauricio Pereyra tallied two minutes later.

Harold Preciado’s goal in the 58th minute tied things up once more, but Cartagena prevented Orlando from going into a shootout when he drove right-footed shot from the center of the box past Gibran Lajud. Lajud tallied two saves.

FC Juarez 3, Austin FC 1

Aitor Garcia notched a brace in a seven-minute span as Juarez downed host Austin in a South 1 match.

Garcia scored in the 62nd and 69th minutes for FC Juarez, who also got a goal in the 35th minute from Sebastian Saucedo. Ethan Finlay scored Austin’s lone goal.

Austin FC lost both of their matches during group-stage action, while Juarez earned a win in addition to losing to Mazatlan in PKs.

Pumas UNAM 3, D.C. United 0

Pumas didn’t let host D.C. get a shot on goal en route to a rout in an East 2 match.

The visitors held a 19–5 advantage in shots and a 6–0 edge in shots on target to secure their spot in the knockout stage. Cesar Huerta, Nathan Silva, and Gabriel Ferandez each scored a goal for Pumas UNAM.

Despite the loss, D.C. still advanced to the next round after tallying three points in the group stage. CF Montreal were eliminated from East 2 after earning just two points.