Cruz Azul arrived at Subaru Park with a history against them, but responded on the field to beat Philadelphia Union in their Leagues Cup debut. The controversy began hours before the game, when the Mexican club published an image where a blue scarf appeared on the statue of Rocky Balboa, one of the city's most recognized symbols. The action generated comments among fans for the so-called 'Rocky Curse', a belief that has accompanied visiting teams in Philadelphia for years.
The 'Rocky Curse' is a popular superstition related to the statue of the famous character from the movie saga starring Sylvester Stallone. The legend says that teams or selections that place sports objects on the sculpture before a game end up losing the match. The origin of this belief dates back to 2002, when it was related to the Green Bay Packers of the NFL. Since then, different teams have been associated with this supposed bad streak.
Cruz Azul decided to defy the history and accompanied the publication with a strong message: 'Curse? Sorry. We don't believe in that.' The response of La Máquina came on the field. The Mexican team started their participation in the 2026 Leagues Cup with a victory over Philadelphia Union, one of the most competitive teams in the MLS. The win represented a blow of authority for Cruz Azul, which arrived at the tournament as the reigning champion of the Campeón de Campeones of Mexican football and with the intention of competing for the international title.
The team led by Joel Huiqui showed personality in American territory and managed to overcome both the rival and the atmosphere generated around the famous superstition. The tournament between clubs of the Liga MX and the MLS represents an opportunity for Mexican teams to measure their international level against American representatives. For Cruz Azul, starting with three points means taking an important step within the initial phase, where each result can define the future path to the direct elimination round.
La Máquina also managed to leave behind a narrative that had generated pressure before the game. The image of the scarf on the Rocky statue passed from being a possible threat to becoming a celebrated anecdote by the blue fans.
Cruz Azul is currently in sixth place in the Liga MX, with 6 points, 2 wins, 0 draws and 1 loss in 3 games. The team is 1 point behind the leaders, Club América. In their last game, Cruz Azul lost 2-3 to Atlante FC. The next date for Cruz Azul is August 17, when they will face Club Tijuana in a Liga MX game.
