Leagues Cup Preview: Club América vs. Columbus Crew | OneFootball

América is preparing for one of its most important matches of the season when it faces the Columbus Crew in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Leagues Cup.

Club América Look Strong

Las Águilas enter the match in outstanding form. They remain unbeaten in the cross-border tournament and currently sit atop the Liga MX standings in the Apertura 2026, giving them their strongest momentum in months.

That positive run could provide the perfect boost for the club to reach an unprecedented milestone in its recent history: advancing to the semifinals of this tournament for the first time. Guillermo Almada’s team is also under pressure, as this is arguably the most important match the manager has faced since taking charge of América. Almada will be looking to avoid an early exit from the first international competition he has managed with the club.

América arrives with nearly a full squad available. Raúl Zúñiga and Víctor Dávila will not be involved, as they are not part of Almada’s plans. Luis Ángel Malagón has recovered from an Achilles tendon injury, but the goalkeeper is still not match fit and remains unavailable.

Alejandro Zendejas has traveled with the team, and it remains to be seen whether he will be ready to play after recovering from a knee injury.

Columbus Crew Look Shaky

On the other hand, Laurent Courtois’ Columbus Crew sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with 20 points and enters the match on a three-game losing streak in MLS. Many have wondered how the Crew managed to finish among the top four teams in the Leagues Cup standings. Playing all three of their Phase One matches at home at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field certainly may have helped. This time, however, they will have to travel across much of the country to Los Angeles, another factor that could work against them.

Where will they play?

The match will take place at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. As the higher seeded team, América could pick from a handful of venues within the United States. The Galaxy stadium is expected to lean heavily toward América due to the massive support from Mexican fans living in the United States, not to mention the greater Los Angeles region.

The atmosphere could turn the neutral venue into something close to a home field for Las Águilas. With strong support in the stands, América will look to live up to its status as the favorite and break new ground internationally.

Settling the score

The match also comes with an added element of revenge and a growing rivalry. This will be just the third official meeting between the two clubs. Their most recent encounter came in the 2024 Campeones Cup, when América won on penalties, bouncing back from the painful 4-1 defeat Columbus handed them a year earlier in the Leagues Cup group stage.

Match Details

When: Wednesday, Aug. 26 | 10:45 pm ET / 7:45 pm PTWhere: Dignity Health Sports Park | Carson, CaliforniaHow to Watch: Broadcast live on UniMás/TUDN (Español) or FS1 (English)Stream on Apple TV

The winner will advance to face CF Monterrey or Chicago Fire FC in the Leagues Cup semifinals, scheduled for Sept. 1-2.

América players to watch

Columbus Crew players to watch

Hooligan Pick

América 3-1 Columbus Crew

Thanks to its position in the Leagues Cup standings, América was able to choose Los Angeles as the host city for Wednesday’s match. With such a large Latino and Mexican population in the area, Las Águilas are expected to have overwhelming support in the stands, giving the Mexican side a significant advantage despite the neutral venue.

América also enters the match in excellent form as the leader of the Apertura 2026, while Columbus arrives after losing its last three MLS matches. With momentum, confidence and what could feel like a home crowd behind them, Las Águilas have everything in place to take another step toward the Leagues Cup title.

We also recommend: https://hooligan-soccer.com/transfer-impact-on-the-premier-league-opening-weekend/