FC Cincinnati look to book their Leagues Cup quarterfinal spot when they host Atlas FC on Tuesday evening in a marquee Phase One showdown.
How to watch & stream
- Apple TV
- FS1, UniMás
When
- Tuesday, Aug. 11 | 8 pm ET/5 pm PT
Where
- TQL Stadium | Cincinnati, Ohio
In Phase One, each team plays three matches against opponents from the opposite league. The top four clubs from each league-specific table advance to the quarterfinals.
The tournament champion will be crowned on Sept. 6. Additionally, the top three finishers qualify for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup.
Standings
- 4th in MLS Leagues Cup table
- 6 points (2W-0L-0D)
Last match
FC Cincinnati made it two wins in two Leagues Cup matches with a 2-0 victory over Pumas UNAM, which came on the heels of a 3-1 triumph over Pachuca to open the tournament.Â
Pavel Bucha opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time off an assist from red-hot Evander, and Kenji Mboma Dem put the match away by scoring in his second straight Leagues Cup match.Â
Players to watch
- Evander: The Brazilian maestro has goal contributions in 10 straight matches across all competitions, including 1g/1a in Leagues Cup play.
- Pavel Bucha: The Czech midfielder has scored in back-to-back Leagues Cup matches, and has four goals in five matches since the 2026Â FIFA World Cup break.Â
- Kenji Mboma Dem: The French striker has also scored in consecutive Leagues Cup victories, building off his 4g/2a in MLS play.
- Miles Robinson: The standout center back, who represented the United States at the 2026 World Cup, anchors a backline that has conceded just once in Leagues Cup play.
Need to know
FC Cincinnati have won four of five games across all competitions since the World Cup break, scoring 14 goals during that span. Now they're on the brink of advancing to the Leagues Cup quarterfinals for the first time.Â
Evander has been the catalyst, with the MLS All-Star contributing 3g/6a in the last five matches. And that doesn't include scoring in the 2026 MLS All-Star Game presented by Chime, where he helped lead MLS to a 4-3 win over LIGA MX.
Standings
- 12th in LIGA MX Leagues Cup table
- 0 points (0W-2L-0D)
Last match
Atlas suffered a 2-0 defeat to Charlotte FC, which followed a 3-1 loss to the Columbus Crew. Those results eliminated Los Rojinegros from the tournament.Â
Atlas will look to play spoiler against FC Cincinnati in their Leagues Cup finale before returning to LIGA MX, where they are ninth in the Apertura table with six points (2W-1L-0D).Â
Players to watch
- Rodrigo Schlegel: In his first season since transferring from Orlando City, the Argentine center back has started all 23 matches he's appeared in for Atlas, including both Phase One matches.Â
- Milton Valenzuela: A former Argentine youth international, Valenzuela spent four seasons with FC Cincinnati rival Columbus Crew.Â
- LuÃs Esteves: Like Valenzuela, the Portuguese midfielder is a key summer arrival, signing from Portugal side Gil Vicente FC.
- Camilo Vargas: The veteran goalkeeper has made 47 appearances for Colombia, starting every match for Los Cafeteros at the 2026 World Cup.
Need to know
While all the pressure is on FC Cincinnati, Atlas will want to end their Leagues Cup run on a positive note and take that momentum back to the LIGA MX Apertura.
