March 9 – Philadelphia Union host Club América in the first leg at Subaru Park on Tuesday in the first of the big MLS vs LigaMX clashes of the 2016 edition of the Champions Cup.
Club América have won the Champions Cup a joint record seven times but made hard work of their Honduran opponents CD Olimpia in the first round, drawing the second leg at home 0-0 but progressing having won the away leg 2-1. Víctor Dávila and Brian Rodríguez scored for the Liga MX club.
In contrast Philadelphia Union couldn’t stop scoring in their 12-0 dismantling of Trinidad and Tobago’s Defense Force. Cavan Sullivan became the youngest player to score for an MLS club in the Concacaf Champions Cup (since 2008-09), and the youngest player to record a brace in the tournament at just 16 years, 4 months, and 29 days. His youth will be fully tested against the imposing history of Club América.
Club América are not on top form domestically, currently sitting seventh in the Clausura table with 11 points after seven league matches after finishing fourth in the Apertura. They will be looking for a deep run in the Champions Cup to help recapture their imperious glory of previous years.
In 2024 and 2025 Club América were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Club Gaudelajara. Those losses hurt but Philadelphia Union also have good reason to inflict more pain on the Mexicans.
In 2021, the only other time these two sides have met, Club América beat Union 4-0 on aggregate over the two-legged semi-final, winning both ties 2-0.
Henry Martin was one of the scorers for Club América in that match-up and he will likely lead the line again against the Union.
Philadelphia Union are playing in the last 16 of the Champions Cup for the fourth time, having only lost once to Liga MX side Pachuca in 2024.
But the Union are going into last 16 tie on a poor run of form of their own, having lost their opening three MLS games, the last to San Jose at home on Sunday.
Two sides desperate for a win makes for an intriguing no-holds barred clash between MLS and LigaMX.
Leg 1: March 10 at 7pm ET – Subaru Park, Philadelphia
Leg 2: March 18 at 9 pm ET – Estadio Cuidad de Los Deportes, Mexico City