Only eight remain of the 47-player field that launched the second edition of the Leagues Cup, an annual World Cup-style competition jointly conceived by MLS and Liga MX and featuring all of the top U.S., Canadian and Mexican clubs, and open to all players from the World Cup’s top division.

Like last year, the 2024 Leagues Cup quarterfinals will be dominated by American representatives, with six of the remaining eight clubs coming from MLS, one more than in 2023, when Lionel Messi led Inter Miami to its first title a month after his spectacular arrival in South Florida.

Below you’ll find the backstory to each of the four single-elimination games scheduled for Saturday, along with outcome predictions for each game.

Columbus Crew Comparisons NYCFC (6pm ET)

The Crew are the reigning MLS Cup champions and the highest-seeded team remaining in the domestic championship, and Wilfried Nancy’s team will be desperate to win that trophy after losing the one-game Concacaf Champions Cup final to Pachuca in Mexico in June.

They’ll have to fancy their chances after overcoming a 2-0 deficit to beat Messi-less Inter Miami 3-2, ending the Herons’ Leagues Cup title defense in the Round of 16. Columbus is the class of MLS. Once again they’ll play in front of their own fans at a raucous Lower.com Field in Ohio’s capital. And with star striker Cucho Hernandez back to his best form of the season, the Pigeons’ best path to an upset could be a penalty shootout. That could make the game ugly unless the hosts score early – which Cucho & Co. are likely counting on.

Prediction: Columbus 2, New York City 0

Philadelphia Union Comparisons Mazatlan (7:30 p.m. ET)

It was a miserable season by the Union’s high standards. The 2022 MLS Cup runners-up finished an astonishing 21st among 29 teams when the league took a break for this tournament. But Philly looked like a different team during the Leagues Cup, especially in Tuesday’s 4-2 quarterfinal win over FC Cincinnati. Tai Baribo scored twice against last year’s Supporters’ Shield winners. The Israeli striker currently leads the competition in goalscoring.

Jim Curtin’s side are suddenly just three wins away from the Cup. For a team that is not guaranteed to make the MLS playoffs, that has to be a top priority. Union came close last year, but lost to Miami in the semifinals. Should they get past Mazatlán – which comes to Subaru Park after a surprise win over Mexico City’s Cruz Azul – the winner of the Crew-NYCFC game awaits. A return to the Final Four would be a source of pride for a club that has played above its means for years, especially since the top three finishers in the Leagues Cup guarantee a spot in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup. Union knows that after finishing third last year.

Prediction: Philadelphia 2, Mazatlán 2 (Union advances on penalties)

Seattle Sounders Comparisons LAFC (8pm ET)

The quarterfinals’ big match pits these two Western Conference powers against each other, at least one of which has played for the MLS Cup in four of the last five years. At home, the Sounders are slight favorites, having defeated Liga MX’s Pumas 4-0 in the round of 16 at Lumen Field.

But LAFC has been better in MLS in 2024, both overall and head-to-head. The 2022 MLS champions have beaten Seattle in both of their meetings so far this year, including a 3-0 loss on July 20. The Angelenos also have a shiny new striker in Olivier Giroud, France’s all-time leading goalscorer, who made his debut for the club in a 4-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes on Tuesday.

Prediction: Los Angeles 3, Seattle 2

Club America Comparisons Colorado Rapids (10pm ET)

In theory, it shouldn’t be too big a competition. Club América started the tournament as number 1 of the 47 participants. The Rapids finished 46th.

So Mexico’s richest and most popular club is the clear favorite to advance – especially since it will once again play in front of a sea of ​​yellow-clad Águilas fans at the LA Galaxy’s home stadium in Carson, California, where América eliminated St. Louis City in its second game on Tuesday.

In fact, the Rapids have been better than expected all season under new coach Chris Armas. With longtime USMNT goalkeeper Zack Steffen in goal and playmaker Djordje Mihailovic in top form after a strong showing for the USA at the Paris Olympics, can Colorado make its side of the semifinals an all-MLS affair?

Prediction: Club América 2, Colorado 1

Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports. A former editor at ESPN and Yahoo Sports, he has covered the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.

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