MIAMI, Florida – The 2023 Leagues Cup is reaching crunch time with four crucial quarterfinal matches on the schedule for Friday night.

The winning teams from Friday will secure a coveted place in the semifinals, where they could clinch a berth in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup with a victory.

First things first, though, the eight teams remaining in the tournament must take care of business in the quarterfinal round.

Starting off the night will be the Philadelphia Union facing Liga MX side Queretaro at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania.

The Union have survived back-to-back penalty shootouts against DC United and the New York Red Bulls to reach this stage of the tournament and will hope to defeat a Queretaro side that won in a penalty shootout themselves in the previous round against the New England Revolution.

Argentina superstar and 2022 FIFA World Cup winner Lionel Messi will look to continue his scorching start with Inter Miami when they host Charlotte FC at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Messi is the joint-top scorer in Leagues Cup with seven goals, including two in the previous round against FC Dallas during which Inter Miami won in a penalty shootout after rallying from two goals down in the second half for a 4-4 draw.

Charlotte reached this phase thanks to a late two-goal spurt in one minute against the Houston Dynamo in a 2-1 win in Houston.

Minnesota United and Nashville SC will tangle in the next quarterfinal at GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tennessee. Minnesota United boast their own big goalscorer in Leagues Cup, Bongokuhle Hlongwane, who is tied with Messi with seven goals.

Both teams emerged from dramatic penalty shootout wins to reach the final eight. Minnesota United eliminated Toluca, while Nashville SC overcame Club America.

The night will end with what should be an epic duel at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California between two-time Concacaf Champions Cup runners-up Los Angeles FC and five-time Concacaf champions Monterrey.

LAFC rolled to a 4-0 win over Real Salt Lake in the Round of 16, while Monterrey got a dramatic second half stoppage time goal from new arrival Sergio Canales to defeat city rivals Tigres, 1-0.