• Santos Laguna and Chicago Fire FC will face each other this Sunday at 6:00 PM (HC) at SeatGeek Stadium, in a match corresponding to the second round of the Group Stage of the Leagues Cup 2026.

After completing their training session in Chicago, Illinois, the Santos Laguna First Team is gearing up for their second Group Stage match of the Leagues Cup 2026, where they will face Chicago Fire FC.

Following the practice held at the Endeavor Health Performance Center facilities, Head Coach Renato Paiva and Spanish player Fran Villalba addressed the media in a hybrid press conference, where they shared their thoughts on the upcoming match for the albiverde team.

Looking ahead to Sunday’s match, Paiva highlighted the footballing identity displayed by Chicago Fire:

“Against Chicago Fire, it will be another very difficult match because it is a very well-prepared team that plays in a very specific way, with very good players and a world-renowned forward (Robert Lewandowski). It’s another opportunity to keep improving because it’s true that the results are not coming, but we are on the path to what we want. There are good points, but the results are not happening, which is our responsibility.”

The Portuguese coach pointed out the playing style prioritized by the American team:

“Chicago Fire is a team that prioritizes the idea of having the ball, placing players inside, and focusing a lot on interior play; it’s very rare to see this team play a long ball and send in a cross. It’s a team with a very defined way of playing. We prepared for this match more in theory than in practice. We expect a very difficult game.”

Meanwhile, Fran Villalba emphasized that one of the main aspects to improve will be efficiency in front of the opponent’s goal:

“We have to capitalize on the scoring chances we create because we will continue to have opportunities. The team plays well, builds well from the back, but we are lacking that efficiency to finish. We need to be more accurate, especially the offensive players.”

The Spanish player also highlighted the confidence within the squad in the work being done:

“It’s not a lack of confidence because the team is doing many things well. The team creates chances, defends well in various phases of the game, but there are details we are not getting right. From there, the team will start to generate more confidence than it already has. The team does very good things, so we have to stay on this path because, in this way, the results will come sooner rather than later.”