Leagues Cup start time, channel, how to watch and stream

With storms across the Philadelphia region forcing a postponement, the Union will now take on the New York Red Bulls Tuesday night in their round of 16 Leagues Cup game.

It will be the 42nd time the Union have faced the Red Bulls, and Philadelphia is undefeated in the last 10 matches against their New York rivals, dating back to 2019. But many of those were tight games where the Union managed to eek out a victory.

“It usually comes down to one or two plays here or there,” Union manager Jim Curtin said on Sunday. “We’ve had some success obviously. … But every game — the margins are so, so tight, and it’s really a hard game.”

The Union enter Tuesday’s game after their round of 32 Leagues Cup victory against the D.C. United, which came on penalty kicks following a 0-0 draw.

This is the third Leagues Cup, and the first to feature every MLS and Liga MX team. If the Union defeats the Red Bulls, they’ll move on to the quarterfinals, where they’ll face Querétaro FC of Liga MX.

There’s also a chance the Union could host Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF, who won their round of 16 match against FC Dallas on penalty kicks. Inter Miami faces Charlotte FC on Friday.

Here’s everything you need to know to stream Tuesday’s Union-Red Bulls Leagues Cup match:

What is the start time for the Union-Red Bulls Leagues Cup game?

The Union’s Leagues Cup match against the Red Bulls is scheduled to begin Tuesday at 8 p.m. Eastern at Subaru Park in Chester.

With Apple TV+ owning all the MLS TV rights, the game won’t air anywhere on broadcast or cable television in English — it will stream exclusively on Apple TV+’s MLS Season Pass.

Calling the game in English will be Steve Cangialosi and Danny Higginbotham. The Spanish broadcast will feature Alejandro Figueredo and Jaime Macias.

MLS Season Pass is $39 for the rest of the season if you’re an Apple TV+ subscriber, or $49 for everyone else. You can also sign up for a one-month free trial of MLS Season Pass if you’re not already an Apple TV+ subscriber.

Can I watch Union-Red Bulls on TV?

If you have Apple TV+ and are a subscriber to MLS Season Pass, sure. Otherwise, you’re out of luck.

Tuesday’s game is not airing on linear TV in English or Spanish. The only way to tune in is through MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.

What is the Leagues Cup?

The Leagues Cup is an in-season tournament that pits all 29 MLS teams against 18 teams from Mexico’s Liga MX, the country’s top professional soccer league.

The tournament debuted in 2019 with an eight-team, single-elimination knockout format won by Cruz Azul of Liga MX. The 2020 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Liga MX’s Club León won in 2021. There was no Leagues Cup in 2022 due to a compressed scheduled forced by the World Cup.

This year, the Leagues Cup features all 47 MLS and LIGA MX clubs. The MLS clubs are seeded based on their position in the final 2022 Supporters’ Shield standings, while the LIGA MX clubs are ranked based on total points for Clausura 2022 and Apertura 2022.

The top three teams in the Leagues Cup automatically quality for the Concacaf Champions Cup, with a chance to represent the confederation at the FIFA Club World Cup.

Could Lionel Messi and Inter Miami play in Philadelphia?

While Inter Miami isn’t scheduled to face the Union during the second half of the season, the two teams are on a trajectory to meet in the semifinals of the Leagues Cup if both teams keep winning.

Here’s what needs to happen for the Union to host Messi and Inter Miami in Philadelphia (well, Chester) on Aug. 15: