Your Thursday Kickoff: What to watch for as Leagues Cup 2023 starts this weekend

Arsenal wins a trophy

Arsenal FC took down the MLS All-Stars 5-0 to win the 2023 MLS All-Star Game. It’s their first major trophy since 2004.

Orlando City secure return of midfielder Urso

A fan favorite is back on Orlando City SC, as the club announced Wednesday that midfielder Júnior Urso has signed a contract through 2023 with an option for 2024. The 34-year-old and Orlando had surprisingly parted ways in November 2022, a move attributed to personal reasons that required Urso to return to his native Brazil. He played in eight games upon his return to top-flight side Coritiba before becoming available.

Inter Miami CF sign Paraguayan midfielder Gómez

Inter Miami CF’s busy Secondary Transfer Window continued Wednesday evening, with the club announcing they’ve signed Paraguayan international midfielder Diego Gómez from Club Libertad. The 20-year-old arrives via the league’s U22 Initiative, which is partially designed to help clubs acquire overseas talent at a lower salary-cap charge. Gómez is under contract through the 2026 MLS season with an option for 2027.

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Happy Leagues Cup Eve. We’re celebrating with a different kind of Watchgridometer. Let’s take a look at each group with a little help from our friend, The Plusometer (while remembering that we here at The Daily Kickoff are absolutely not Liga MX experts and many would argue we barely even know anything about MLS).

*The Plusometer is a scientific way to quantify the potential watchability of any given game on Apple TV - MLS Season Pass, but can and will also be used for all other channels. Using the elements of "Potential for very good/entertainingly bad soccer," "Chances created," "Narrative," "Aesthetics" and "Totally subjective bonus points," I assign each element a score out of 10 and each game a score out of 50. Twenty-five is average potential. Fifty is greatest game of all-time potential. We normally use it for MLS on a game-by-game basis, but think of this more as grading a group project.

Central 2: Puebla, Minnesota United FC, Chicago Fire FC
Plusometer Score: 28/50

Just a whole collection of teams that seem totally fine. It’s equal parts “Yeah, sure” and a group that’s set to cannibalize itself and have everyone go 1-1. Maybe Chicago continue a good run of form, though? Maybe Minnesota really start to build off the Bebelo Reynoso/Teemu Pukki connection and get hot? It seems plausible.

Central 4: Nashville SC, Toluca, Colorado Rapids
Plusometer Score: 25/50

The Rapids are struggling right now and it feels like they’re major, major underdogs here. The Nashville-Toluca game should be fun. Y’all know what Nashville are about at this point and Toluca finished sixth in Apertura and fourth in the Clausura last year. Plus, maybe, just maybe, we’ll get a look at what Nashville look like with a new DP striker? I doubt it at this point but you never know.

South 1: Austin FC, Mazatlán FC, FC Juárez
Plusometer Score: 19/50

Not exactly a stacked group if we’re being honest. Of course, being favored in an international competition didn’t exactly help Austin last time, did it?

South 2: Santos Laguna, Orlando City SC, Houston Dynamo FC
Plusometer Score: 29/50

Santos had a weird year last year where they finished third in the Apertura and then nosedived to 13th in the Clausura. Not quite sure where they stand coming into this one, but their potential inconsistency actually pairs really nicely with Orlando and Houston’s inconsistency. Who knows what version of each team we’re actually going to get here, but we do know that the good versions of each team are really solid. Orlando especially have been playing well as of late. The roster is balanced and talented across the board. If you’re looking for a dark horse to get absurdly hot out of nowhere and make a run in this thing, the Lions are as good a pick as any.

South 4: FC Dallas, Necaxa, Charlotte FC
Plusometer Score: 24/50

I don’t even really know here. I used to be able to count on Dallas to show up to each game and have a point or three 90 minutes later even if they didn’t impress me while they did it. Now, I’m not so sure. It’s been rough lately. Then again, few MLS teams would handle losing their two best attacking threats well. Jesús Ferreira will be back with the team for this one and could give them a needed boost.

East 1: Philadelphia Union, Club Tijuana, Querétaro
Plusometer Score: 23/50

Philadelphia are so heavily favored in this group that it will actually make me “not mad but seriously disappointed” with them if they don’t advance. Xolos and Querétaro won 12 games combined over the course of the Apertura and Clausura last year. Philly made the CCL semifinal. They need to get this done.

East 2: CF Montréal, Pumas, D.C. United
Plusometer Score: 26/50

Pumas were uhhhh not great last year. No one in this group is a juggernaut. Which makes it actually kind of fun?

East 3: New York City FC, Atlas, Toronto FC
Plusometer Score: 25/50

Man, there’s a world where NYCFC and Toronto get their stuff together like we know they’re capable of and this group rules. Instead, it’s an Atlas side that earned just seven wins over the course of the 2022-23 season, an NYCFC side that’s been shockingly dull and a Toronto side that’s been anything but boring for all the wrong reasons. At least we should see what NYCFC look like with their new U22 striker Mounsef Bakrar.

East 4: New York Red Bulls, Atlético de San Luis, New England Revolution
Plusometer Score: 24/50

This one would be a lot more fun if the Red Bulls would start living up to their underlying numbers, but we’re 23 games in and that just doesn’t seem to be happening. So. I’d go ahead and favor the Revs here in your bracket challenge. Although it will be fun to see how San Luis handle the Red Bulls doing Red Bulls things.

West 1: Tigres UANL, Portland Timbers, San Jose Earthquakes
Plusometer Score: 37/50

Tigres are generally very, very good at soccer and the Timbers and Earthquakes are just trying their hardest right now. Credit to the Quakes, who seem to have the ability to beat anybody when they actually bring their A-game. And credit to the Timbers, who have an ability to pull out the funniest result possible - which in this case is the 12th place team in the West beating this year’s Campeón de Campeones 1-0 with like two shots on target.

West 3: LA Galaxy, Club León, Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Plusometer Score: 35/50

León are your reigning CCL champs. The Galaxy have a tendency to look like a genuine contender or the worst team on the continent with no in-between. Vancouver have enough quality to win this whole group. I feel like things are going to get weird here.

West 2: Monterrey, Real Salt Lake, Seattle Sounders FC
Plusometer Score: 47/50

Every single game is must-watch here. MLS folks should be well acquainted with Rayados by now. They should also be well aware that RSL are one of the hottest teams in the league and that Seattle gets a major skill points boost anytime they’re in a tournament. The quality across the board here is excellent, and it’s hard to believe it’s only the third highest-rated group according to the plusometer.

Central 1: Club América, Columbus Crew, St. Louis CITY SC
Plusometer Score: 49/50

Mexico’s most popular team is heading to St. Louis and Columbus, and that is just amazing for so many reasons. In particular, the crowds in both cities are going to be wild and the soccer should be genuinely fun to watch across the board. The Crew play the prettiest soccer in the league, St. Louis do their whole Diet Red Bull deal and they’ll both be looking to take down the continent’s biggest club. The Columbus-St. Louis game will be fascinating on its own in a styles-make-fights way, too.

Central 3: Chivas Guadalajara, FC Cincinnati, Sporting Kansas City
Plusometer Score: 44/50

Chivas have gotten themselves together under former Chicago manager Veljko Paunović and nearly won the Clausura last season. They’ve come out firing out of the gate in this year’s Apertura too, winning their first three games. They’ll be going up against a Cincinnati team that’s on pace to break the MLS points record. It feels like SKC are the odd man out here, but they do have the vibe of a team that could get hot enough to steal a few points. Don’t count them out entirely. Just some.

South 3: Cruz Azul, Inter Miami CF, Atlanta United
Plusometer Score: 48/50

Messi and friends versus a Liga MX giant and MLS’ highest attended team. That’s just great TV. Even if I’m pretty convinced Atlanta aren't exactly staking their season on this competition while they undergo a bunch of changes, but still. Incredible TV. Lionel Messi is going to play for an MLS team.

Charlotte FC transfer midfielder Santos back to Portugal: Charlotte FC have transferred midfielder Nuno Santos to Portuguese top-flight side Vitória de Guimarães for an undisclosed fee. The move caps an 11-month period in MLS where Nuno Santos played just nine games (three starts) for Charlotte with one goal and one assist.

• Austin FC's Jon Gallagher is realizing a dream.
• Kei Kamara shared thoughts on his record-setting career.
• St. Louis CITY are soaring in Year 1. 
• Before Leagues Cup begins, take a look at 10 MLS alums who now call Liga MX home.
• Can these 10 Liga MX stars steal the show at Leagues Cup?
• The West took down the East in the MLS NEXT All-Star Game. 
• MLS All-Stars took stock of lessons learned against "one of the best teams” in the EPL.
• Auston Trusty is looking to ride momentum from the All-Star game.

Good luck out there. Bring as many friends with you as possible.