LAFC welcome Tigres for Leagues Cup heavyweight clash | OneFootball

By Ari Liljenwall

A visit from one of Mexico's most storied clubs leaves LAFC with an opportunity to make a statement in Leagues Cup 2025.

The Black & Gold wrap up Phase One play at BMO Stadium on Tuesday evening when they host Tigres UANL (10:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass), who topped LAFC in the 2020 Concacaf Champions Cup final and 2023 Campeones Cup.

A chance to avenge those defeats accompanies must-win stakes for LAFC, who need all three points to have a chance at being one of four MLS teams to make the Leagues Cup quarterfinals.

"It's an extraordinary competition for us because we don't normally face teams from LIGA MX," head coach Steve Cherundolo said at Monday's MD-1 press conference. "But I find this competition quite interesting to coach, but also from an entertaining standpoint, just to watch games.

"... You've seen a lot of passion on the field, a lot of goals, a lot of red cards. We don't want to see red cards, but I think it's proof that these games mean something. And I think that is where our focus is, is to make sure that we're able to instill the principles we understand here at LAFC on our opponents, and not vice versa."

Formidable foe

Tigres have been LIGA MX's top performers through the competition's first two matches, emerging as one of three clubs to take all six available points, alongside MLS rivals Seattle Sounders FC and the Portland Timbers.

In Argentine international forward Ángel Correa, they also boast the current Leagues Cup scoring leader. The former Atlético Madrid star has netted four times, including a clutch brace that delivered Friday's 2-1 win over San Diego FC.

"We know that they're a really big team, they're one of our big competitors," midfielder Igor Jesus said through a translator. "However, we just have to continue to play together as a team and just really work on our strengths in order to take this game tomorrow."

Keeping hope alive

LAFC, meanwhile, have three points after seeing each of their two matches decided by penalty-kick shootouts against Mazatlán and Pachuca after 1-1 draws.

That means the Black & Gold's hopes hinge on a first-ever win over Tigres, which could also serve as a springboard for an ascent up the Western Conference table in MLS play.

"Look, we're competitors," Cherundolo said. "The players want to win every training session, every game we give them, every competition we put them in, they want to win. That will be the same for tomorrow.

"... I think we have experienced a lot together as a group," Cherundolo added. "We have had a lot of success, we've had a lot of setbacks, we've had some injuries. And so I think right now, giving it one good last effort to finish the season strong is really important. And also adding reinforcements, so once all of our new players arrive, I think we are in a very good position to finish strong like the manner we started the season."

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