NYCFC vs Club Puebla preview: A necessary win in the Leagues Cup | OneFootball

After an insane road win against FC Dallas in Major League Soccer on Friday, New York City FC will somewhat return home for the start of the Leagues Cup.  With three games over the next eight days, the Pigeons will start the 2025 tournament with a match against Club Puebla.

The struggling Liga MX side has not performed well over the last few seasons, including a last-place finish in the Clausura of the 2023-2024 season.  Therefore, this is a game that NYCFC should win on paper.  But as seen in the Dallas fixture, there might be some bumps in the road defensively since Thiago Martins could miss two months or more due to his knee surgery.

Since the matches will get harder as Phase One of the Leagues Cup progresses, a win against Puebla is necessary and vital.  Anything less will mean that the Pigeons will not move on in the tournament.  Only four teams from each league will make it to the knockout stage.  Hence, teams with three wins out of three will have the best chance to continue the tournament run.

This will still be challenging.  Plus, despite this game being considered a home game, the Boys in Blue will be in New Jersey, which means multiple fans will likely forgo attending the match.  This leaves plenty of tickets available for the Liga MX side.  So, here is a preview of NYCFC’s game with Club Puebla.

NYCFC vs Club Puebla preview

Date

NYCFC and Club Puebla will play one another on Tuesday, July 29.

Time

The fixture will begin at 8:00 PM ET.

Location

The game will occur at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

How to watch

Fans can watch the Leagues Cup battle on the MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.

Weather

The heat will not go away for NYCFC.  When the match kicks off, it will be 90 degrees but will feel like 96.  It will be sunny as the sun sets and remain clear throughout the fixture, with no rain in sight.

Injury report

There is no injury report released for the Leagues Cup at this time, but Malachi Jones (leg), Thiago Martins (leg), and Keaton Parks (leg) were all out for the last game.

Players to watch

NYCFC fans should watch Alonso Martínez in the first Leagues Cup game.  The striker just had his hat-trick against Dallas and should be full of confidence.  His scoring ability always makes him a threat to opposing teams.  As such, the Costa Rican should be the likeliest to score on Tuesday night.  It would also be helpful for him to score multiple goals, for goal differential can make the difference in who moves on in the tournament.

Fans should also watch Ricardo Marín on Puebla.  The forward had four goals in the Clausura last season and already has a goal in the current Apertura.  He has only been with the club for half of a season, so the hope is that he can be more impactful.  He is clearly a threat in front of the goal, so the Pigeons must focus on him.

This is the game NYCFC should win.  They know anything less will set their fate in the tournament.  That is why it is predicted the Boys in Blue will win 3-0, with the defensive mistakes from the Dallas fixture forgotten.  The team will play well despite the high likelihood of the majority of fans being Puebla supporters.