The Leagues Cup 2026 started and for a change, a bucket of ice water fell on Liga MX. Thank goodness the Colts of Atlante and the Bravos of Juárez dressed up as heroes to become the light at the end of the tunnel.
On a night that looked like a general funeral, the Mexican side breathed thanks to Atlante's surprising 1-0 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps and Juárez's brave 1-2 victory against Minnesota United. About the rest... let's not even talk about it, because Atlas, Pumas and Pachuca bit the dust in an ugly way.
To add more drama to the matter, the Tigers could not hit the table either and had to settle for a gray 1-1 against Real Salt Lake. The harsh reality is that gringo soccer continues to bring us children in the historical balance of this tournament.
There have already been 106 direct grabs and the accounts don't lie: the MLS boasts 40 victories in regulation time compared to just 34 in Liga MX. And the 32 ties? Even in that they win the toss, because from the eleven steps the Americans have been left with 19 extra points, leaving us with a miserable 13 rounds in favor.
It is clear that, beyond the manliness of Atlante, the self-confidence of Juárez and the ni fu ni fa of Tigres, this competition is still worth a fortune to many Mexican clubs. What happened to Atlas, Pumas and Pachuca was not just losing; It was dragging the blanket with an apathy that leaves much to be desired and that the mother lies to the supposed level of our league.
An Atlantean with many pants
The Iron Colts thing was something to stop and applaud. In their absolute debut in the tournament, the town's team jumped onto the field without complexes and painted the face of none other than the Vancouver Whitecaps, the boss of the Western Conference of the MLS.
The Canadians held nothing back; They sent the best of their repertoire and included Thomas Müller himself in the eleven, but not even the fang of the German star scared the Blaugranas.
The key for the Colts was not to shrink. While Vancouver's team came out on top—thinking they won with just the jersey—Atlante wove them fine and completely neutralized them. With that audacity that characterizes them, in the 40th minute the Ecuadorian Jhojan Julio Palacios ordered the ball to be saved to score the winning goal.
Far from falling back and suffering in the second half, the Colts managed the times with tremendous maturity; What's more, the Mexicans' second was closer than the local tie. Victory of ground gold and a lesson in how to play the neighbor to the north.
Without Caixinha, Juárez removed the cobwebs
For their part, the Juárez Bravos showed that he who is a rooster in any henhouse sings. Without the Portuguese Pedro Caixinha on the bench, the border team shook off the malaria and the laziness that it had carried in the local tournament. It seemed that they played freely and without chains.
Ghillerme Castillo in the 24th minute and Óscar Estupiñán in the 38th minute vaccinated Minnesota United early to give them an advantage that they defended with their nails. The Twin Cities team wanted to react with a goal from Tomás Alejandro Chancalay, but the Braves did not move a hair and secured three points that taste like pure glory for a border that already deserved a joy.
The rest of the day: To cry in a corner!
Unfortunately, it wasn't all parties and mariachi. The rest of the Mexican delegation felt sorry for others and gave their butts very early in their matches. The Columbus Crew settled a painful 3-1 against Atlas that exposed all their shortcomings.
For their part, the Pumas came out with a lost compass and Charlotte FC gave them a superb 3-0 victory that deeply affected university pride. To close the nightmare, Cincinnati erased Pachuca from the field with another relentless 3-1. An opening day to be forgotten that leaves a great lesson: either they get their act together, or the MLS is going to take our errands again.
