Sounders open Leagues Cup play against Real Salt Lake

TUKWILA — Major League Soccer shut down regular-season play to make way for the revamped Leagues Cup. The monthlong tournament features all 29 MLS teams and Mexico’s 18 top-flight clubs from Liga MX.

Teams were divided into 15 regional groups of three. Los Angeles FC, the reigning MLS Cup champs, and Club Pachuca, which is top of the table in Liga MX, received byes to the knockout rounds. All of the tournament’s matches will be played at MLS venues.

The Sounders open their group stage on the road Saturday against Real Salt Lake. They will play their final group match against Mexican side C.F. Monterrey on July 30 at Lumen Field.

RSL is entering Leagues Cup as the hottest team in North America. It hasn’t lost since May — an unbeaten streak of 10 matches through all competitions.

Sounders (0-0) vs. Real Salt Lake (0-0)

Time/place: 6:30 p.m. Saturday at America First Field; Sandy, Utah.

TV: Apple TV+

Radio: KJR-AM (950) and in Spanish on El Rey 1360 AM

Series history: RSL leads the all-time series 15-13-6 since 2009.

The story lines

New rules

There won’t be any draws in Leagues Cup matches. As normal, the winning team at the end of regulation will earn the full three points. A draw at the end of regulation awards one point to each team but the match will head to a shootout where that winner will earn an additional point.

The top two teams in group standings will advance to the single-elimination knockout rounds. The final is slated for Aug. 19.

A prize pool of approximately $40 million is expected to be distributed among the winners of the 77 matches with the Leagues Cup champion earning $2 million, according to the Sports Business Journal. The top three finishers of the Leagues Cup receive a berth to the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup — the new prerequisite for the FIFA men’s Club World Cup.

The Sounders advanced to the 2021 Leagues Cup final and lost to Mexican side Club Leon, but that version of the tournament didn’t feature every team from MLS and Liga MX.

Still Salt Lake   

Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer confirmed he’ll have all first-choice starters available for selection Saturday. The list includes forward Jordan Morris, who participated in the MLS All-Star match in D.C. on Wednesday, and defenders Alex Roldan (rest) and Yeimar Gomez Andrade (undisclosed), who missed portions of training this week.

But it hasn’t mattered who was in the lineup when they travel to play Salt Lake. The Sounders are 1-11-4 all-time in Utah through all competitions. The sides played to a goalless draw in April, the Sounders’ first time leaving with points since 2012.

RSL is even stronger, signing Colombian striker Chicho Arango from Pachuca last month. He’s already netted a goal and two assists in three matches with his new team.

Quotable

“It’s nothing new. There won’t be a different tactic to how they play or how we play,” Sounders midfielder Albert Rusnak said of the RSL matchup. “It almost may feel like it’s an MLS (league) game, to be honest. I don’t know what is going to change it to feel like a Leagues Cup game when we go Salt Lake. It’ll just be the tables will be fresh.”