What was the Leagues Cup showcasing at Soldier Field?
On Saturday afternoon, Club América defeated Aston Villa 1-0 at Soldier Field, as part of the Leagues Cup Showcase series. The game had a generally fun atmosphere, as both teams fielded a large part of their best XIs for at least a portion of the match and the crowd, which heavily leaned towards the Mexican giants, seemed to be enjoying themselves despite the sun and heat.
For Aston Villa, the match was part of a global preseason tour that included three stops in the United States, including another Leagues Cup showcase match held in Columbus against the Crew. Both the Crew and Club América have byes in the group stage, and thus were using the friendly as an opportunity to stay sharp.
The game followed the hallowed traditions of summer preseason friendlies. Most of the biggest names from each squad’s current roster played at the start, giving fans of each team a good chance to say they saw some of – if not all of – their favorite players on the pitch.
Although the first half had its moments – in the 14th minute, Leon Bailey took a shot that hit the post, and the rebound found its way to John McGinn whose shot hit the other post, creating, in a sense, the longest inter-doink interval of a double doink in Soldier Field history, the intensity was clearly lacking compared to competitive matches, particularly as the half wore on and the heat took its toll as starters remained on through the half. Although there were individual moments of skill and real chances, both sides returned to the locker rooms tied 0-0.
Over the course of the second half, every starter on both sides was subbed off, and with more players trying to make a case for more minutes on the pitch, the intensity stayed higher. Eventually, Illian Hernández, a player on loan from Pachuca who played just 310 minutes in the Clausura for América last season, took a pass from Alan Cervantes that made it through Villa’s entire midfield unopposed and buried it, giving the game its first and only goal and causing the crowd to erupt.
It was likely not the best soccer that any of the fans in attendance have seen in their lives, but fans got to see their clubs’ stars in person; each team had chances, one team got a goal.
Still, the question has to be asked: What exactly was the Leagues Cup showcasing at Soldier Field?
Was it that the monthlong tournament, which sees Liga MX teams come to MLS venues but pauses both league seasons as a result, can be a big draw?
Club América, the most famous team from the continent, with massive support in the United States – and Chicago specifically – combined with Aston Villa, one of the oldest football clubs in the world, a team that finished fourth in the Premier League and is playing Champions League football this season, just managed to fill most of the lower bowl of Soldier Field on a Saturday, after AC Milan and Real Madrid packed the building midweek?
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The announced attendance of 25,122 for the showcase is less than the 25,179 that were on hand to see the team play New York City FC on their most recent game at Soldier Field on July 13th (25,179), their previous Saturday home game against the Galaxy on June 1st (25,237), highlighting, if anything, that giving up a month of prime summer dates for the Leagues Cup, limits the Fire’s attendance. (Ticket prices for the showcase match were notably more expensive than Fire regular season games have been.)
Attendance at Leagues Cup matches this year has, with the exception of a few games involving large Liga MX clubs, has often trailed what MLS host teams draw in regular season matches: The announced crowd of 16,228 at SeatGeek for the Fire’s game against Toluca last week was notably less than their only summer midweek match, when 19,453 were on hand to see the Fire take on the Philadelphia Union.
Or was the point to showcase how much the Fire – and the league – gave up when they had to schedule the team’s knockout game against Club América at 20,000-capacity SeatGeek Stadium last year due to difficulties scheduling games at Soldier Field in the summer on short notice, but were able to schedule this friendly at Soldier Field?
Maybe it was to remind Fire fans – who now have a three-week gap between matches for their team, longer than international breaks – of why Soldier Field was available for a friendly in August, rather than hosting a Fire home game?
Or was it that the Leagues Cup, despite being called a “cash grab” from many quarters, is still missing obvious commercial opportunities, as no merchandise for either team or for the Leagues Cup itself was available for sale in Soldier Field?
Maybe it was simply to showcase that, as ridiculous as it has become to play national anthems before club matches, especially considering the number of international players on MLS rosters, let alone games featuring teams from other leagues, that things could be stranger? The Star Spangled Banner was played about 20 minutes before kickoff, with players on the pitch still practicing, while the Himno Nacional Mexicano and God Save the King were played just before kickoff – the latter to slightly bemused looks on some Aston Villa players.
The experience at the match was, overall, fun for those in attendance, and the action on the pitch through the Leagues Cup has largely been entertaining. However, for those trying to figure out what the tournament is for, whether it’s necessary, and whether the tradeoffs are ultimately worthwhile for fans and the league, it did little to provide those answers.
