CARSON, Calif. — In a season defined by disappointment, the LA Galaxy are crafting an improbable and unforgettable Leagues Cup run.
Despite sitting dead last in Major League Soccer, the Galaxy are now one of the final four teams standing in the continental tournament after a great first-half display paved the way for a 2-1 victory over Liga MX’s Pachuca in Tuesday night’s quarterfinal.
The final four spots in Leagues Cup belong to the MLS as LA will host the Seattle Sounders on Aug. 27 and Inter Miami will host Orlando City in the other semifinal the same night.
”I think the balance between the two leagues is getting much closer,” Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney said after the victory. “I think across the board, all of our teams can be competitive against their teams.”
LA’s next opponent, Seattle, defeated Puebla in penalties (4-3) Wednesday evening and just dominated the Galaxy in their building, 4-0, in league play 10 days prior.
The Galaxy’s victory, sealed by an own goal and a Marco Reus tally, sends the Galaxy through to the semifinals and continues a bizarre but thrilling dichotomy: a team that can’t buy a win in MLS is suddenly thriving on the Leagues Cup stage.
“It was a grind,” Vanney said. “We went midweek, all the way to Miami, played in hot, warm conditions, flew back really late… [the club] had to suffer a little bit, but it was well worth it.”
The breakthrough came in the 27th minute. A corner kick from Diego Fagundez found Marco Reus, who played the ball across the Pachuca box, culminating in Pachuca’s Alonso Aceves inadvertently turning the ball into his own net.
The goal was a reward for the Galaxy’s assertive start, a stark contrast to their often-lethargic MLS form.
The Galaxy didn’t just protect their lead; they doubled it. Just before halftime, the energetic Joseph Paintsil found striker Matheus Nascimento in the box. His clever deflection fell perfectly for the onrushing Reus, who calmly slotted the ball home.
Pachuca’s Alexandre Zurawski would pull one back late in stoppage-time, but it was too little, too late for the Tuzos.
LA didn’t make it through 90 minutes without picking up some bruises and more along the way. Nascimento had to exit the match due to injury.
”I’m not quite sure, I think it was more abductor related, but I’m not quite sure the extent,” Vanney said of the Brazilian striker.
The performance displayed was a complete reversal of the Galaxy’s weekend 3-1 league loss to Inter Miami over the weekend and a 4-0 loss to the Sounders the match prior, proving this team possesses a resilience and identity that mysteriously vanishes during regular-season play.
”Some games just go certain ways and for us today, everything was perfect,” Diego Fagundez said. “I think this shows the character that this team has.”
Now, the club that sits at the bottom of the MLS table finds itself in the semifinals of the Leagues Cup, 90 minutes from a chance at silverware and a coveted Concacaf Champions Cup spot.
For one night, the league standings were irrelevant. The Galaxy, against all logic and expectation, looked like a team capable of conquering continents, not just surviving them.
“It’s our playoffs,” Fagundez said. “A trophy for this team is all we want this year.”