Charlotte FC takes on Inter Miami in Leagues Cup quarterfinals
On Friday, Charlotte FC will take on Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF in the quarterfinals of the inaugural Leagues Cup. A win would not only advance the team to the semifinals but also guarantee CLTFC a chance at qualifying for the Concacaf Champions Cup via the final or third-place match.
The match against Inter Miami takes place at 8:30 p.m. in Fort Lauderdale at DRV PNK Stadium.
Messi is widely considered to be one of the greatest players of all time.
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Charlotte FC won their group after defeating FC Dallas away in a penalty kick shootout and taking down Necaxa 4-1 at Bank of America Stadium, while Miami advanced out of a group containing Cruz Azul and Atlanta United.
Charlotte FC beat Cruz Azul and Houston Dynamo FC in the Knockouts, and Miami beat Orlando City and FC Dallas.
Since either Charlotte FC or Inter Miami are guaranteed to advance to the final or third-place match on Aug. 19, the MLS regular season match between the two clubs originally scheduled for Aug. 20 has been postponed.
Should Charlotte FC advance Friday night, the location of the Tuesday, Aug. 15 semifinal would be determined by the outcome of the Queretaro FC versus Philadelphia Union quarterfinal. Should Queretaro win, CLTFC will have a home match. Should Philadelphia win, then CLTFC will hit the road again to keep the Leagues Cup dream alive.
The Leagues Cup is a first-of-its-kind competition featuring all 47 first division clubs from Major League Soccer and Liga MX in a World Cup-style club tournament taking place from July 21 to Aug. 19.
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