The League Cup: A Crucial Tournament for International Qualification and Relegation

The League Cup will also be crucial for qualifying for international tournaments and relegation

This Thursday the League Cup begins, the domestic tournament that will mark the end of the 2023 season of Argentine soccer, with a format that promises to be captivating. After a Professional League conquered from end to end by River Plate, now the 28 teams will be divided into two zones and the best will collide in Playoff crossovers that will define the champion. In addition, this contest will sentence the two relegations and the qualifications to the international cups, which is why it will take on a giant significance for the fans.

There will be two groups of 14 members each and 14 dates will be played, all against all, with day number 7 as the one designated for the interzonal classics, stipulated for the weekend of Sunday, October 1. That will then be the date on which the Superclásico between Boca Juniors and River Plate will be held at La Bombonera.

The best four of each group will qualify for the final stage in which there will be clashes in a single quarterfinal, semifinal and final match. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be played in the stadium of the best positioned team in the group stage and in the event of a tie there will be penalties. The final will be at a neutral venue and in the event of equality there will be an extra time first and then, if necessary, penalties.

The League Cup starts this Thursday and the Playoffs will start on December 3, while the final is scheduled for the 16th of that month. It should be remembered that on December 23 the Champions Trophy will be held among the winners of each tournament. In the event that River Plate is crowned in the League Cup, the loser of that final should play a tiebreaker match on December 20 against the second in the Professional League -Talleres- to see which one is measured against the Millionaire.

In addition, the tournament will define which are the teams that will qualify for the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana by the annual table (only the points added in the group zone will be taken into account, that is, in the 14 dates and not what happens in the playoffs). Up to now, Martín Demichelis’ team, being champion, is the only one that has its place guaranteed for the maximum event. It will be the best three of that table (not including the Millionaire) and the winner of the Argentine Cup who will keep the other four places. In turn, the next six in the annual table will access the South American.

At the moment, they would be getting the ticket to the Libertadores Talleres, San Lorenzo and Lanús, together with the already classified River Plate. While the South American would go Students, Defense and Justice, Boca Juniors, Rosario Central, Godoy Cruz and Argentinos Juniors.

But no definition is as exciting as that of descent. In December it will be known which will be the two clubs that will lose the category, one by averages and the other by annual table. Again, only points earned during the group stage will be added, not in the Playoffs. So far, the worst in both aspects is Arsenal (0.962 in averages and 22 points in the annual) so Huracán and Colón, with 25 points, today would have to fight in a final to settle which one goes down to the second category by the sum of points. Just above them breathes Vélez, with 27, Independiente, with 28, and Central Córdoba de Santiago del Estero, with 29.

Zone 1 is made up of: River Plate, Independiente, Atlético Tucumán, Arsenal, Gimnasia, Vélez, Instituto, Banfield, Rosario Central, Argentinos, Barracas Central, Colón, Talleres and Huracán.

Zone 2 is made up of: Boca Juniors, Racing, San Lorenzo, Central Córdoba, Racing, Defensa y Justicia, Estudiantes, Tigre, Godoy Cruz, Lanús, Newell’s, Platense, Sarmiento, Unión, Belgrano.

*In case of equality of points at the end of the group stage, the positions will be defined by goal difference and, in the second instance, goals in favour.

*The best from each zone will clash in the quarterfinals against the fourth from the other zone; and the second, before the third. In addition, the first two could only face each other in the grand final.

This is how the first date will be played

Thursday, 7:30 p.m.: Belgrano – Estudiantes (Group 2)

Friday 4:30 p.m.: Defense and Justice – Godoy Cruz (Group 2)

Friday 7:00 p.m.: Union -Racing (Group 2)

Friday 9:00 p.m.: Boca Juniors -Platense (Group 2)

Saturday 4:30 p.m.: Independiente – Colón (Group 1)

Saturday 7:00 pm: Gymnastics – Workshops (Group 1)

Saturday 9:00 p.m.: Vélez Sarsfield – Barracas Central (Group 1)

Sunday 2:00 p.m.: Arsenal – Instituto (Group 1)

Sunday 4:00 p.m.: Sarmiento -Tigre (Group 2)

Sunday 16.15: Rosario Central v Atlético Tucumán (Group 1)

Sunday 6:30 pm: Lanús – San Lorenzo (Group 2)

Sunday 9:00 p.m.: Argentinos Juniors – River Plate (Group 1)

Monday 6:00 p.m.: Hurricane – Banfield (Group 1)

Monday 20.30: Newell’s – Central Córdoba (Group 2)

*The signals that will broadcast the matches will be TNT Sports and ESPN Premium.

The leaderboard

*The first three teams (excluding River Plate) will qualify for the Copa Libertadores

*The following six teams will qualify for the Copa Sudamericana

*The worst in the table will go down.

*As Arsenal ranks last in averages, Huracán and Colón would play a playoff for permanence

Keep reading:

The fixture of the Professional League and the 2023 League Cup was raffled: when the Superclásico will be played and the complete calendar
2023-08-17 04:06:20
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