Now that Charlotte FC has finished their group stage of the 2024 Leagues Cup, the team has to wait for results to go their way on Sunday to qualify for the Round of 32.
CLTFC is in a group with the Philadelphia Union (MLS) and Cruz Azul (Liga MX). The team won a thrilling penalty shootout over Cruz Azul at Bank of America Stadium on Wednesday night, but they fell 1-0 last Saturday on the road at Philadelphia.
Per Leagues Cup rules, teams receive an extra point for winning a penalty shootout after a draw in regulation (for two points total). Otherwise, the point system is the usual three points for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for a win.
So, the current standings of the three-team group are:
1. Philadelphia Union - 3 points, 1 GP
2. Charlotte FC - 2 points, 2 GP
3. Cruz Azul - 1 point, 1 GP
As such, the knockout round qualification scenarios facing CLTFC are pretty straightforward when Philadelphia hosts Cruz Azul for the final match of the group on Sunday.
Additionally, read on for Charlotte's hosting opportunities for a potential Round of 32 match.
Philadelphia Wins
Should the Philadelphia Union win at home - either in regulation or in a penalty shootout - then Charlotte FC will advance.
If Philadelphia wins in regulation, then Cruz Azul would finish on one point, and CLTFC would go through in second place on two points.
If Philadelphia wins in a shootout, then Cruz Azul and CLTFC would be tied on two points each. However, Charlotte holds the head-to-head tiebreaker from their shootout win over the Liga MX team at home, which would put them through in second place.
Cruz Azul Wins
Should Cruz Azul win - again, either in regulation or in a penalty shootout - then Charlotte FC would be eliminated.
If the Liga MX team wins in regulation, Philadelphia would have three points and Cruz Azul would have four points, leaving CLTFC on the outside looking in with two points.
If Cruz Azul wins in a shootout, then both Philadelphia and Cruz Azul would have three points, one more than CLTFC's two points.
Hosting Scenarios
For the Round of 32, Charlotte FC's group (E4) is matched up with the group of Orlando City SC, Atletico San Luis, and CF Montreal (E2). The winner of E4 will play the second-place team from E2 and vice versa.
Hosting is determined by a team's Leagues Cup Ranking.
The Leagues Cup ranking will be strictly based on combined MLS and LIGA MX club performance based on points in the last 34 regular season matches. MLS teams will be ranked based on the 2023 MLS Supporters’ Shield standings, while LIGA MX clubs will be ranked based on the cumulative 34 matches in the 2023 Clausura and Apertura tournaments.
Orlando (3) have a higher ranking than Charlotte FC (25). However, CLTFC is higher in the rankings than the other two teams in E2: Atletico San Luis (27) and CF Montreal (32).
Therefore, if Charlotte is matched up with Orlando in the Round of 32, Orlando will host. If Charlotte is matched up with either San Luis or Montreal, Charlotte will host.
If Charlotte FC advance out of their group, they can only do so in second place. So, fans will need to monitor Sunday's Orlando City vs Atletico San Luis match (which kicks off at the same time as Philadelphia vs. Cruz Azul) to see who wins that group.
Orlando will finish in first place in E2 if they win outright, win a penalty shootout, lose a penalty shootout, or lose outright by only 1 goal. San Luis will finish in first if they win by three or more goals. Should San Luis win by exactly two goals, the standings will be decided by a series of tiebreakers (which has too many potential scenarios to effectively break down here).
Summary
To keep it short and sweet, Charlotte FC's ideal scenario on Sunday is this:
Philadelphia beats Cruz Azul (in regulation or penalty shootout). CLTFC advances in second place.
- AND -
Atletico San Luis beats Orlando by three or more goals*. CLTFC hosts San Luis in the Round of 32.
*If San Luis win by exactly two goals, CLTFC can host if San Luis finish in first place via the tiebreaker system.
