Monterrey experienced a damaging 3-2 defeat against Cincinnati in their Leagues Cup opener, placing immense pressure on them to respond in their following match against New York.
Daniel Edelman expressed his frustration at being overlooked by the national team despite being a key player for the Red Bulls, saying "I thought I should have been called up at the beginning of January, after the MLS Cup... it's definitely giving me a chip on my shoulder to keep playing and perform well with the Red Bulls."
The San Jose Earthquakes extended their unbeaten streak to four games with a 1-1 draw against the New York Red Bulls, owing to an own goal in the 58th minute. Cristian Espinoza's cross was redirected into the net by New York's Mohammed Sofo. San Jose managed to equalize despite losing DeJuan Jones to a red card late in the match, forcing them to play a man short for the final 26 minutes. Emil Forsberg scored for New York, marking his second consecutive game with a goal, but they remain winless in their last four games.