Chucky Lozano will face boyhood side Pachuca on Tuesday evening, as San Diego FC welcome the LIGA MX side for a Leagues Cup Phase One match.
How to watch & stream
When
- Tuesday, July 29 | 11 pm ET/8 pm PT
Where
- Snapdragon Stadium | San Diego, California
During Phase One, MLS and LIGA MX teams will look to earn points in a league-specific table against clubs from their own league. Adding to the rivalry showdowns, matches go straight to a penalty shootout if they end in a tie.
The top four teams from each Leagues Cup league-specific table advance to the quarterfinals, meaning only eight of the 36 entrants (18 from MLS, 18 from LIGA MX) reach the knockout phase.
The Leagues Cup final is set for Aug. 31, while the top three finishers qualify for the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup.
By their standards, Pachuca are coming off a down season in 2024-25, after finishing 16th in the Apertura and eighth in the Clausura. They also finished last in their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup group.
But don't count out the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup winners. They've been busy in the transfer market, adding former Nashville SC striker Jhonder Cádiz to offset Salomón Rondón being loaned to LaLiga side Real Oviedo.
Los Tuzos also have some notable talents in midfield, namely Alan Bautista and ElÃas Montiel. And they just signed former Portugal international William Carvalho, who's come to LIGA MX after spells with Sporting CP and Real Betis.
For more motivation, Pachuca will look to best Lozano's new team. The Mexican international won two titles with Pachuca in 2016-17 before departing for Europe.
San Diego have defied all expectations during their inaugural season.
They're first in the Western Conference with 46 points and, with nine regular-season games remaining, are on pace to surpass LAFC's expansion club points record (57; 2018 season).
The Chrome & Azul's first two Designated Player signings have proven an overwhelming success. Lozano and Anders Dreyer have combined for 18 goals and 24 assists, earning MLS All-Star honors alongside midfielder Jeppe Tverskov.
Dreyer has arguably been the most impressive, entering the Landon Donovan MLS MVP discussion alongside Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF) and Evander (FC Cincinnati). The Danish winger carried SDFC's attack while Lozano dealt with several injury spells.
Now, San Diego will see if their ball-dominant, team-first approach pays dividends in Leagues Cup.
