Inter Miami star Sergio Busquets is in favour of the unusual rule, pointing to the burden that a busy soccer schedule already places on players.
William GittinsWillGittUpdate: Jul 25th, 2024 14:54 EDT0
Anne-Marie SorvinUSA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
The 2024 Leagues Cup gets underway on Friday evening, kick-starting a month of action between teams from MLS and Liga MX. The 47-team tournament will be played across 31 host cities, with spots in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup up for grabs.
The Leagues Cup was successfully revamped in 2023 to include all top flight teams in the United States and Mexico. Organisers also opted to introduce penalty shootouts to decide a winner in any tied game throughout the competition.
Inter Miami midfielder Sergio Busquets is among the players in favour of the unusual rule, which ensures that teams are not required to play an additional 30-minute period of extra time after gruelling summer fixtures.
“It’s a different format, but very necessary. Penalties make it more exciting… playing lots of games in a limited amount of time for players on a physical level is difficult. With the calendar full of games, it’s good to have that format,” the former Barcelona midfielder explained.
Gettin' ready with the new match ball! ⚽️#LeaguesCup2024 kicks off tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/aCx1Q1MfGu
— Leagues Cup (@LeaguesCup) July 25, 2024
He was not the only one supporting the penalty shootout format. Club León veteran Andrés Guardado added: “For the public it’s very entertaining for the game to be decided by penalties after 90 minutes. It’s attractive for the public, but for the players it’s welcome from a physical aspect to be able to play games at a great level in a short amount of time. It’s a plus for the tournament.”
How do penalty shootouts work in Leagues Cup?
In the 45-team group stage, teams are placed in 15 groups of three. Each team will play one game against both group stage opponents, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the knockout stage. The two seeded teams – Columbus Crew and Club América – will then enter the tournament at this stage, setting up a 32-team first knockout round.
