Galaxy forward Matheus Nascimento chases the ball down during the first half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal against CF Pachuca on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy goalkeeper Novak Micovic, center, dives to deflect the ball during the first half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal against CF Pachuca on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy defender Maruicio Cuevas, left, dives for the ball during the first half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal against CF Pachuca on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy defender Emiro Garcés looks to pass the ball during the first half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal against CF Pachuca on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy midfielder Marco Reus, left, is held by CF Pachuca midfielder Elías Montiel as he tries to push the ball up the field during the second half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy forward Matheus Nascimento, right, kicks the ball while chased by CF Pachuca defender Luis Rodríguez during the first half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy forward Matheus Nascimento heads the ball in front of CF Pachuca defender Sergio Barreto during the first half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney looks on from the sideline during the first half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal against CF Pachuca on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy defender Julián Aude, right, winds up to kick the ball while defended by CF Pachuca forward Alexéi Domínguez during the second half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy midfielder Marco Reus celebrates after his kick led to an own goal deflection by CF Pachuca during the first half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy forward Matheus Nascimento, front, is upended by CF Pachuca defender Daniel Aceves, back, during the first half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy defender Maruicio Cuevas moves the ball up the field during the first half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal against CF Pachuca on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy midfielder Marco Reus heads the ball while defended by CF Pachuca midfielder Elías Montiel during the first half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy midfielder Isaiah Parente kicks the ball during the second half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal against CF Pachuca on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy forward Joseph Paintsil moves the ball up the field while being chased by CF Pachuca defender Luis Rodríguez during the second half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy midfielder Isaiah Parente, right, chases the ball as he is pushed by a CF Pachuca defender during the second half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy forward Gabriel Pec recovers the ball during the second half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal against CF Pachuca on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
CF Pachuca head coach Jaime Lozano looks on from the sideline during the second half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal against the Galaxy on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy forward Joseph Paintsil, left, is pushed to the turf by CF Pachuca defender Luis Rodríguez while going for the ball during the second half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy goalkeeper Novak Micovic kicks the ball up the field during the second half of their Leagues Cup quarterfinal against Pachuca on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park. Micovic helped the Galaxy hold on for a 2-1 win. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy defender Julián Aude, left, heads the ball while defended by CF Pachuca forward Kenedy during the second half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy goalkeeper Novak Micovic, top, leaps to catch the ball during the second half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal against CF Pachuca on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy defender John Nelson, left, vies for the ball with CF Pachuca forward Kennedy during the second half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy midfielder Diego Fagundez kicks the ball up the field during the second half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal against CF Pachuca on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy midfielder Diego Fagundez, center, vies for the ball with CF Pachuca forward Kenedy (29) and forward Alexandre Zurawski during the second half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy midfielder Isaiah Parente moves the ball up the field while being chased by CF Pachuca midfielder Alan Bautista during the second half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy forward Joseph Paintsil, right, vies for the ball with CF Pachuca defender Brian García during the second half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
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Galaxy forward Matheus Nascimento chases the ball down during the first half of a Leagues Cup quarterfinal against CF Pachuca on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, at Dignity Health Sports Park. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
CARSON — The Leagues Cup version of the Galaxy has caught the regular-version group in total wins.
Despite being mired in last place in the MLS regular-season standings, the Galaxy have found success in this year’s 36-team tournament between MLS and Liga MX teams.
After earning seven points in their three group stage games, the Galaxy advanced to the knockout round as the fourth seed out of the 18-team MLS group.
After a pair of first-half goals and some hard-fought defending, the Galaxy’s Leagues Cup journey will continue thanks to a 2-1 victory over CF Pachuca on Wednesday night in front of 16,599 at Dignity Health Sports Park.
“I thought our work rate on the defensive side was excellent and I thought just the commitment over the whole game was great. You need to win games like this,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “Tough circumstances, busy stretch of games and the guys just battled.”
The Galaxy defeated Tijuana (5-2) and Santos Laguna (4-0) during the group stage and had a 1-1 draw against Cruz Azul. Their victory over Pachuca was their third of the tournament. Their regular-season record is 3-16-7.
This time, both teams have weekend matches, with the Galaxy playing Saturday but the Sounders playing on Sunday, giving them one less day to prepare.
“I think I said this to the guys after the Seattle game, just our intensity was too low,” Vanney said. “It was the fourth game in a busy stretch. Not to give excuses, but the reality is we just didn’t play at a high enough level to play against a team like Seattle and cause them problems. We weren’t sprinting, we weren’t closing and we weren’t running behind.
“We had played at a lower level on that day than we had in the (Leagues) Cup games leading into it. So I think first and foremost, we have to start off being ready to really sprint and impose ourselves on the game. Be more active and faster to support each other, quicker to the move the ball, running through the lines, defending harder and connecting better. Some of the things we did tonight. If we can do that, especially in the first half, if we can do those things, we’re going to give ourselves a real chance in the game.”
Seattle defeated Puebla in penalty kicks, 4-3, after a scoreless draw in their quarterfinal on Wednesday.
The Galaxy got on the scoreboard in the 28th minute with an own goal off of a Pachuca defender. Off of a corner kick, Marco Reus, on the second ball, crossed it low into the crowd in front of the goal and Daniel Aceves put it into his own goal.
In the 37th minute, Reus did the job himself with a finish from approximately 12 yards out for a 2-0 lead. Matheus Nascimento’s pass to Reus included a deflection off of a Pachuca defender, right into Reus’ path for the finish.
Protecting the two-goal lead became the challenge for the Galaxy. Pachuca dominated possession in the second half and the Galaxy managed only one shot, while Pachuca had nine.
In the 78th minute, Alexandre Zurawski’s initial shot was saved by Novak Mićović, but the rebound came back and hit Galaxy defender Emiro Garces, sending the ball back toward the goal, forcing Mićović to come up with another save.
Late in stoppage time, Zurawski broke the shutout with a stellar volley and finish, but the final whistle sounded soon after.
“I felt like it was a pretty mature performance for us and we haven’t seen a ton of those over the broader season,” Vanney said. “But we certainly put one together tonight and the guys have been great inside of this tournament.”
This was the first meeting between the Galaxy and Pachuca since 2007, in what was called the SuperLiga tournament between MLS and Liga MX teams, which lasted from 2007-2010.
In the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader, Orlando City SC defeated Toluca in penalty kicks, 6-5, to advance to face rival Inter Miami in a semifinal. Inter Miami defeated Tigres, 2-1, as MLS teams went 4-0 in the quarterfinals.
The title match and third-place game are set for Aug. 31.
