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A wild second matchday in the Leagues Cup provided a little more clarity over which sides could move on to the knockout stage, with several standout performances along the way.

At last, the Leagues Cup picture is beginning to take shape. With 36 teams involved across two separate leagues, the format can become a bit complicated, especially when only eight teams can reach the knockouts - perhaps too few given the size of the field, although that is a debate for another time.

In any case, a few things are now certain. Two MLS clubs - Vancouver and Minnesota - are officially out of the tournament. As many as 10 Liga MX clubs have already been eliminated. Heading into the final matchday, there is still almost everything to play for.

Even so, some teams have put themselves in a very strong position so far.

Austin and Charlotte have handled their business. Chicago Fire, who are now beginning to get the best out of Robert Lewandowski, have played their way into contention. LAFC have come through a difficult schedule. Philadelphia Union remain in the mix. But some teams are under pressure. Inter Miami, viewed as the likely favourites, could miss out on qualification after their defeat over the weekend. Portland Timbers may have seen their momentum come to a sudden halt. Put it all together, and the final matchday is shaping up to be a fascinating one.

And before what promises to be a chaotic few days, GOAL takes a look at the winners and losers from the weekend.

WINNER: Cavan Sullivan

New Philadelphia Union manager Ryan Richter has handled Cavan Sullivan impressively. His basic idea appears simple: let the youngster play. While first Jim Curtin and then Bradley Carnell were careful with the hugely talented teenager, Richter has removed the restrictions. In Richter's five matches in charge - four of them victories - Sullivan's minutes have been 85, 89, 89, 90 and 60.

Football is very much a sport where players learn through experience, and senior-level action is crucial for young talents to develop. Sullivan is getting exactly that. Yes, there have still been a few rough edges, with moments where the teenager has overplayed or tried to do a little too much. But on Saturday night, he delivered an excellent hour of football. The teenager scored once and set up another. He completed every one of his dribbles and also put in important work off the ball as the Union claimed a 3-1 win over Necaxa to keep their Leagues Cup hopes alive.

LOSER: Kris Velde

Velde did not actually have a poor game in Portland's 3-1 defeat to Liga MX heavyweights Club America. He scored a genuinely brilliant equaliser in the 20th minute, gliding through the defence to drag an otherwise flat Timbers side back into the contest. But it was what followed that ended up defining his evening. Asked about the atmosphere - which included plenty of Club America shirts in the stands - Velde gave a very forceful response:

"Shit, shit, shit, shit. Ton of yellow [shirts] in our own home. I've never seen this in my life. I don't understand how it's possible," he told reporters after full time.

Maybe that is something better avoided in your own home ground?

WINNER: Robert Lewandowski

It always seemed as though Lewandowski only needed one spark to get going. After failing to score in his first two MLS matches, the Polish striker has now found some rhythm. More importantly, though, he has reminded everyone just how outstanding he still can be.

He scored twice against Charlotte on Aug. 1 - both classic centre-forward finishes. And on Sunday night, it looked as though he might be in for a frustrating outing. Across the 90 minutes, Lewandowski created the most chances on the pitch, had the most touches in the opposition box, and attempted the most shots. It felt like it might be one of those nights. Then the goal arrived. He reacted quickest to a rebound to score Chicago's third in an emphatic 3-1 victory.

That close-range finish not only put the result beyond doubt, it also reinforced another point: Lewandowski is immensely experienced. Other players might have become frustrated, switched off, or simply stopped pushing. But the Pole waited for his opportunity, and even if the goal was a scruffy one, it was richly deserved.

LOSER: Inter Miami

To be fair, there were a few circumstances working against Inter Miami in Saturday night's 2-1 defeat to Monterrey. Most notably, Lionel Messi was absent following the tragic death of his father. Some things are bigger than football, and losing your star player - especially in such awful circumstances - is never easy to deal with.

Still, the match had to be played. And Miami were far from convincing on their own ground. Manager Guillermo Hoyos named something close to a full-strength side at home. But without the suspended Luis Suarez, the absent Messi and the injured German Berterame, the Herons looked blunt in attack. Their familiar defensive weaknesses also surfaced again, and they could hardly complain when former Chicago Fire forward Hugo Cuypers scored a 90th-minute winner that leaves Miami's Leagues Cup hopes in genuine trouble. To be clear, Miami are allowed to lose matches. No side is flawless.

But this result did bring up broader concerns about what life after Messi could look like, something they will surely need to plan for. When he eventually departs, who takes control? Saturday night did not provide much reassurance.

WINNER: Seattle Sounders

Seattle desperately needed that. It has been a dreadful run for the Sounders, who matched a club-record seven-game losing streak from May 16 to Aug. 5. Very little had gone right for the MLS powerhouses, who had no answer to a wave of midfield injuries - especially to Cristian Roldan - and a defence that simply kept conceding.

On Saturday night, though, Roldan was back in the starting XI. And it was no accident that Seattle looked far more balanced and effective. The structure was there. Seattle controlled the match for long spells, had most of the possession, allowed just one big chance and created plenty themselves. Queretaro FC could not cope with cult favourite Paul Rothrock down the left, where he brought creativity and energy and chipped in with two assists in a 3-0 victory. The next few days will not be easy. Seattle must beat Chivas - probably by a convincing margin - to book a place in the knockouts. But this result at least gave them a chance and also ended a miserable run.

LOSER: Vancouver Whitecaps

It appears that life in Vancouver after Sebastian Berhalter may be a little harder to manage than first expected. While Berhalter played the full 90 minutes for Middlesbrough in his full debut and set up the winner in a 1-0 victory over Wrexham, his former teammates struggled badly at home. The Whitecaps were without Andrés Cubas, who had worn the captain's armband in their opening Leagues Cup match. The combative midfielder has recently been linked with transfer talk, and Friday's game underlined just how important he is to Vancouver.

Without him, the Canadian side were thoroughly overrun, and even the return of Thomas Muller was not enough to prevent FC Juarez from taking three crucial points on Friday night. The statistics suggest Vancouver dominance and Juarez efficiency - the visitors scored three goals from six shots. But in reality, Vancouver looked thin, error-prone and far too vulnerable on the break. They are now out of a competition in which many had hoped they could make a serious impact.