Two rounds down, two to go. The Jagermeister Cup’s group stage is halfway through, and the second set of matches was full of upset wins, bold strategic decisions, and standout moments that made all the difference.
Which clubs left the biggest mark, and what trends emerged across a jam-packed slate of nearly 20 matches? I’m breaking down the winners and losers of the round to find out.
Winner: Phoenix Rising
You can call this version of Phoenix a lot of things, but “boring” isn’t one of them. After a 3-3 match against New Mexico United that Rising pulled out via penalty kicks, it’s clear that this club is always going to bring the intensity. Increasingly, it’s a matter of balancing that fire with some manner of restraint, and Phoenix did just enough of that to get two points on Saturday.
Pa-Modou Kah set up his 4-2-3-1 to mark tightly through the central midfield, forcing New Mexico to work around the edges. Hope Avayevu was particularly influential at the No. 10 spot, where he found himself assigned to Gedion Zelalem on the opposite side. If Phoenix could deny bounce passes into Zelalem and force United to push outside, that was a far better outcome than allowing access up the middle.
