🔬 The Debrief on Wednesday's Leagues Cup action | OneFootball

The Leagues Cup train continues to steam down the tracks as a few sides kicked off their campaigns Wednesday evening, while some crashed out the competition. Let's pick through the biggest stories from all of the chaos.

What happened

Jul 31, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte FC acknowledges their fans after the win on penalty kicks against Cruz Azul during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sport

Charlotte pulled off a shock by beating Cruz Azul on penalty kicks after a scoreless 90 minutes, seeing another Mexican giant fall at the hands of an MLS club in the first week of the tournament.

Keeping up with that trend, D.C. United thumped Santos Laguna in Philadelphia after the Audi Field pitch was deemed unfit for play last week, booking their spot in the round-of-32. Christian Benteke continued his superb campaign with another goal for the Black and Red.

Mazatlán and Juarez finally began flying the flag for Liga MX after a turgid start to the tournament with a pair of 2-0 wins over Dallas and Nashville. The victorious duo booked their spots in the knockout rounds to boot.

Potential tournament favorites Tigres pulled off a stunning late victory over fellow Mexican outfit Puebla thanks to a Diego Reyes winner in the dying minutes after Puebla went down to 10 men.

Finally, the LA Galaxy won a thoroughly entertaining Cali Clásico in San Jose as Miguel Berry stunned the Paypal Park crowd in the dying minutes to send the Galaxy to the top of the group heading into the final matchday showdown against Chivas.

Moment of the night

We may not see a better strike all tournament!

Player of the night

Christian Benteke has been a man on a mission in 2024. The D.C. United striker added to his staggering goal tally in 2024, extending his haul to 18 goals in 24 games.

What this means

Liga MX may just be starting to find some footing in the tournament. Wins for Mazatlán and Juarez came over MLS opposition, while Tigres also earned three points to set up a dramatic final-day showdown with Inter Miami.

The Galaxy's late win in San Jose provides a major shakeup in Group 2 in the west. While Greg Vanney's side have booked qualification, second place in the group won't be settled until Chivas take on the Galaxy on Sunday.

What comes next

The chaos continues. Does it ever stop? Matchday two continues Thursday evening with four more games, including a potential clash for top-spot in Group 8 out west as Real Salt Lake take on Atlas.

© Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports