The Orange & Blue have done just about everything they can do to advance into the Leagues Cup knockout rounds. They may have to do much more than just win on Tuesday when the third match against Liga MX competition takes place.
After two matches, Cincinnati (2-0-0, 6 pts.) find themselves within the projected Top 4 in the MLS standings for the Leagues Cup group stage. Their 3-1 win against Pachuca and 2-0 victory over Pumas may have started nervy, but both ended with solid goal differentials. As a result, FCC stand tied for third in the standings with Chicago, but both Columbus and Dallas could pass them on tiebreakers, even with a win against Atlas on Tuesday night.
Atlas F.C. (0-0-2, 0 pts.) come into their matchup having lost against Charlotte and Columbus over the past week. Since the Top 4 in the Liga MX standings all have six points, Los Rojinegros (The Red-and-Blacks) cannot advance. Dragging Cincinnati out of the competition with them might be the best objective for the three-time top-division champions.
ATLAS FÚTBOL CLUB
While Atlas F.C. have existed for over a century, their success can be measured in sparse moments. Many of their past achievements were in the Copa Mexico/Copa Presidente, which they won four times between 1945 and 1968. While they have won only two top titles as a Liga MX squad, Atlas are one of five teams to win the half-season titles back-to-back, taking the 2021 Apertura and 2022 Clausura under the leadership of head coach Diego Cocca.
While Cocca returned for a second managerial stint in 2025, he departed before the 2026 Leagues Cup. Under the tutelage of new manager Hernan Crespo, Atlas started their 2026 Apertura with two solid wins over Santos Laguna and Club Leon, but they have been mired in a three-match slump, starting with a red-card-induced 2-0 loss to Monterrey. Their Leagues Cup started with a 3-1 loss at Columbus, in which Atlas took more shots overall, but allowed three goals on five shots, all on target. The defense slumped again in a 2-0 defeat to Charlotte, allowing two of the five shots on target to get by goalkeeper Camilo Vargas.
The Atlas team itself has more international talent than your average Liga MX team. The offense runs with Portuguese midfielder Luis Esteves, obtained from Portuguese side Gil Vicente in the offseason. Moroccan forward Ryan Mmaee and Cabo Verde forward Luis “Duk” Lopes will likely be the main attack, but don’t be surprised to see some talent called up with triple-digit numbers on their back.
There should be some familiar names to Cincinnati fans on the Atlas defending line. Juan Jose Purata (ex-Atlanta United) and Rodrigo Schlegel (ex-Orlando City) helm the center of the defensive line, while Milton Valenzuela, formerly of the Crew, anchors the left-back slot.
THE ORANGE & BLUE
Pumas provided a more threatening attack than Pachuca on Friday night, but Cincinnati pulled through with another solid defensive effort. Defenders Andrei Chirila and Kyle Smith performed well alongside Miles Robinson, while goalkeeper Evan Louro held Cincinnati’s first clean sheet since April against Red Bull New York.
The offense also continues to motor on, as Pavel Bucha and Kenji Mboma Dem both scored in their second straight Leagues Cup match. Evander also cruises at incredible altitudes, getting a goal contribution in his tenth consecutive match over all competitions. Pat Noonan has hardly asked for more from his offense, as his team has not been shut out since March against Toronto F.C.
The difficulty behind Tuesday’s match is the fact that so many MLS teams are still undefeated in Leagues Cup play. Ten of the 18 Liga MX teams cannot qualify for the next round. However, only two (Minnesota and Vancouver) are out of the running on the MLS side. Six teams have won their two matches, so a win alone will not be enough.
If Columbus and Charlotte both drop points their final matches Tuesday night, Cincinnati would qualify for the knockout round with a win over Atlas. However, if both teams win Tuesday, then Cincinnati would need to overcome their goal differentials or sweat out the results on Wednesday and Thursday. Austin FC, Chicago Fire, and FC Dallas also have six points and could leap over Cincinnati if the tiebreakers go their way. At the moment, Chicago holds the tiebreaker advantage over Cincinnati, as they have two yellow cards to Cincinnati’s four.
Predicted lineup:
There may be a need to pull back on some of the players to monitor their minutes even more, especially with the MLS season coming back into play this weekend. Evander has played all but two minutes since the World Cup break, while Obinna Nwobodo and Bucha have logged some long minutes in the midfield.
However, Noonan has done well to distribute his first-team minutes, and players such as Kevin Denkey and Matt Miazga may be available to give 90 minutes in a match that might be a surprising must-win for the Orange & Blue. A second option might be to lean on lesser-used substitutes such as Kristian Fletcher, Stiven Jimenez, and Nick Hagglund if the need to distribute minutes is there.
The opponent may also be a factor, as Atlas go straight back into Liga MX play on Saturday against Tigres. If Atlas have the white flag up and opt to focus on the regular season Apertura, we might see Atlas academy players in the mix.
Match Info
Where: TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
When: Tuesday, August 11th at 8 p.m.
Watch: Apple+, FS1
Listen: ESPN 1530 iHeart Radio w/ Tommy Gelehrter and Kevin McCloskey
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