Austin FC to take on Mazatlán FC at Q2

Austin FC will kick off its first Leagues Cup match tonight, facing off against Mazatlán FC at 7:30pm at Q2 Stadium.

What's happening: MLS teams will take a break from their normal schedules July 21-Aug. 19 to compete in the 2023 Leagues Cup, a 47-team inter-league tournament involving every team in MLS and Mexico's Liga MX.

• Teams are broken out into 15 groups in four regions for the group stage, which starts today and continues until July 31.
• The top two teams from each group advance to single-elimination knockout rounds beginning Aug. 2.

Zoom in: Q2 Stadium will host at least two Leagues contests featuring Austin FC — tonight and at 7:30pm July 29 against FC Juárez.

• Austin FC designated 28 players eligible for selection during the tournament; each team can put up to 30 players on their tournament roster, per The Striker.
• If Austin FC advances, more matches might be scheduled locally.

What we're watching: How El Tree fares after an embarrassing showing in its CONCACAF Champions League debut in March.

• Whether key players Sebastián Driussi and Dani Pereira will be available after leaving the Verde's last match with injuries.

Worth noting: Lionel Messi will make his competitive debut with Inter Miami CF tonight against Liga MX's Cruz Azul in Florida.

• If both teams advance, there's a slim chance that Messi would head to Q2 Stadium with Inter Miami.

Yes, but: The odds are pretty slim.

• Austin FC and Inter Miami would have to win their group and first knockout round games to face off in Round 16 of the tournament.

If you go: Find tickets for the match at austinfc.com.

• Austin FC matches are also available to stream on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.