Toluca
Their impressive form in front of goal has been a key factor in their current standing, as they are tied for the second-most goals scored (seven) and sit fifth in the league table. Under the guidance of Renato Paiva, Toluca is also enjoying a five-match unbeaten streak across all competitions, with three of those matches ending in clean sheets.
However, Toluca’s performance away from home has been less consistent. They have managed just one point from their two Apertura away games this season and have not secured a victory on the road since a 5-1 win against San Luis on matchday 16 of the Clausura campaign in April.
In last year’s Leagues Cup, Toluca had a perfect record in the group stage, defeating Nashville SC (4-3) and Colorado Rapids (4-1). They scored multiple goals in every match of their Leagues Cup run but were eliminated in the round of 16 after a penalty shootout loss to Minnesota United (4-2).
On the other hand, the Chicago Fire has struggled to close out games this year, suffering narrow losses by a single goal in eight matches across all competitions. Frank Klopas’s team has failed to maintain a 1-0 lead on four occasions in 2024, including in their Leagues Cup opener.
Their recent loss to Sporting Kansas City marked their first defeat in a Leagues Cup group fixture in normal time. The Fire are winless in four of their last five competitive matches and have struggled in the Leagues Cup, with three of their last four tournament games seeing them fail to score in the first half. Their only first-half goal in this stretch was not enough to secure a win in Kansas City on Sunday.
If the Chicago Fire loses again on Thursday, they will be officially eliminated from the Leagues Cup group stage for the first time. Historically, they have never defeated a Mexican team in this competition, although they did earn a point against Puebla last year with a 1-1 draw before losing in an extended penalty shootout (10-9).
