Toluca Faces Austin FC with Title in Mind: "Our Commitment Is to Win the Leagues Cup"

Mexican club Toluca is setting its sights on winning the 2026 Leagues Cup as they prepare to face Austin FC in the quarterfinals. Head coach Antonio Mohamed declared his team's commitment to securing the binational tournament trophy, stating, "Our commitment is to win the Leagues Cup." He confidently positioned Toluca as favorites in any matchup, emphasizing a no-excuses approach to achieving their goal. Mohamed outlined the keys to victory against Austin FC, a team that remained undefeated in the group stage. He anticipates a potentially defensive game as minutes tick by without a goal. "We must have the ability to move the ball well, recover it immediately, and not allow counterattacks," Mohamed advised. He stressed the importance of disrupting the opponent's rhythm and maintaining control of the match for the majority of the time to prevent Austin FC from settling into their game. While the match is technically a quarterfinal, it will be played at a neutral site, the Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey. Mohamed acknowledged this setup, noting that while Austin FC might have a slight edge in crowd support due to proximity (estimated 70-30), it's advantageous for Toluca not to play at Austin's home ground, the Q2 Stadium. "It's good that we don't have to play on their field," he commented. Argentine midfielder Franco Romero echoed his coach's sentiments, expressing the team's strong desire to advance in a tournament they have yet to win. "We are in the final phase of a tournament that we haven't been able to win yet, but we have gotten used to breaking streaks recently," Romero said. He acknowledged the potentially divided crowd support but believes both teams are essentially visitors in this neutral venue. Toluca is determined to break through and secure a spot in the semifinals.

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We continue to position ourselves as favorites, in any series we have to play one-on-one. There are no excuses whatsoever and we are going to face our commitment to seek to win the Leagues Cup.