The 2025 Leagues Cup is down to just four teams—they’re all from Major League Soccer after all of the Liga MX sides crashed out in Phase One and the quarterfinals.
While the Leagues Cup may not hold as much hype for Mexican teams given all the matches take place in the United States and the tournament comes in the early stages of the Apertura, there is still a lot at stake.
Outside of the glory that comes with lifting a trophy, the two teams that advance to the final will earn berths in the 2026 edition of the Concacaf Champions Cup, while the team that wins the third place game also gains entry to the competition.
We’ve got a Florida derby and a classic west coast MLS clash for this round, but how will they play out?
Sports Illustrated previews and predicts Wednesday’s matches between 2023 Leagues Cup champions Inter Miami and Orlando City SC, as well as Seattle Sounders FC and the LA Galaxy.
Inter Miami vs. Orlando City SC
- Date: Wednesday, Aug. 27
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT
- Stadium: Chase Stadium
- Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Inter Miami and Orlando City SC both have their eyes on the Leagues Cup title, as indicated by heavy team rotations in their matches on Matchday 30 of the MLS regular season. Yet, the clash between the Florida foes comes at a formative time for both teams, in a season they hope to lift multiple trophies.
Currently, Miami sit third in the Eastern Conference on points-per-game, while Orlando aren’t far behind in the metric in sixth. Both are serious contenders to win the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup, but Leagues Cup takes center stage this week.
Despite the slight advantage in the table, Orlando will be confident heading into the matchup after dominating Inter Miami twice this season, beating them 3–0 and 4–1 in the two regular season fixtures, most recently on Aug. 10.
Miami may have to approach the match without Lionel Messi as he continues to battle an injury, but should see Sergio Busquets, Luis Suárez, Jordi Alba and Rodrigo De Paul return to the lineup after resting in a 1–1 draw with D.C. United.
Despite that veteran poise and talent, Orlando will lean on the attacking trio of Marco Pašalić, Martín Ojeda and Luis Muriel. The three have combining for 34 of Orlando’s 54 regular season goals.
Ojeda, who leads Orlando’s MLS scoring with 14 goals, also has a chance at the Leagues Cup Golden Boot, sitting tied for the tournament lead on three.
It won’t be an easy task for either side, but given the issues Miami have had against Orlando, the Lions should prevail, and shut down any hopes of a second Leagues Cup title for Messi and Miami.
Prediction: Orlando City SC 3–1 Inter Miami
LA Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders
- Date: Wednesday, Aug. 27
- Time: 10:45 p.m. ET/7:45 p.m. PT
- Stadium: Dignity Health Sports Park
- Location: Carson, California
The LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders both rotated their squads this weekend, but picked up wins in their matches, unlike their fellow Leagues Cup semifinalists from Florida.
The Sounders enter the clash as the outright favorites, sitting fourth in the Western Conference after a 5–2 win over Sporting Kansas City with primarily reserve players on Sunday night. Meanwhile, the Galaxy are at the bottom of the Western Conference with just 19 points in 27 matches, after picking up a 3–0 win against the Colorado Rapids.
Despite the differences in their regular seasons, both have shown elite play in the Leagues Cup so far, dispatching Liga MX teams and navigating their way to within a game of a Champions Cup berth.
For the Galaxy, though, the stakes are much greater. Given their struggles and the likelihood that they miss the playoffs after winning the MLS Cup in 2024, the Leagues Cup offers them a chance at some solace and a spot in a continental competition.
It’s been a strong suit of theirs as well, and they have surprised throughout the tournament with wins against Club Tijuana, Santos Laguna and Pachuca so far. There have been outstanding contributions in big moments from Marco Reus, Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil. The latter leads the tournament with 11 shots on target.
Coming off a win against Colorado, they enter with some confidence, but also know it won’t be an easy challenge, especially against a Sounders side that trounced them 4–0 earlier this month.
The Sounders, meanwhile, have their eyes on a big end to the season, and that could start with winning Leagues Cup and securing another go at the Champions Cup.
Should they come out on top, it will likely come down to their key players, including Pedro de la Vega—who scored a Puskas-contender against Cruz Azul in Phase One—as well as striker Jesus Ferreira and goalkeeper Stefan Frei.
It’s a clash between two traditional Western Conference powers that haven’t been at their best this season, but have a real chance to grab some silverware to end the summer. Seattle are probably just a step too good for LA to get past.
Prediction: LA Galaxy 2–2 Seattle Sounders (Seattle Sounders advance on penalties)
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Leagues Cup Semifinals Predictions: Which Teams Advance to the Final?.