LA Galaxy to Fight for Their Life Against Pachuca
With dreams of MLS playoff qualification a distant memory, the LA Galaxy’s season may only be redeemed by the Leagues Cup.
Standing in their way is a strong Mexican team that will care little if the Angelenos’ season ends in August.
The LA Galaxy have earned just 16 points after 25 MLS games, securing the wooden spoon with more than two-thirds of the season gone.
Their atrocious form has left them with a <1% chance of qualifying for the playoffs.
While the most diehard fans might believe that there is still a chance for their team to qualify, the LA Galaxy would need to win all remaining games and have 9th-place San Jose Earthquakes lose most of their remaining games even to have a realistic chance of qualifying. In other words, their fate is now out of their hands.
That means that even an improbable win against Inter Miami and current MLS goal leader (18 goals) Lionel Messi on Saturday, August 16th, may not be enough to make a positive difference in the Los Angeles Galaxy results and for the Galaxy’s playoff hopes.
With that in mind, their focus will most likely be on their return to home against C.F. Pachuca in their Leagues Cup quarterfinal.
Pachuca are currently one of Mexico’s strongest teams. They participated in the Club World Cup, losing all three games to RB Salzburg, Real Madrid, and Al-Hilal, but since then, they’ve won 5 of their last six games, only dropping points to AFC after losing on penalties in the group stage of the Leagues Cup. Pachuca are currently top of the Liga MX after a perfect start in which they scored 10 times and conceded just twice in four games. They’ll be looking to make it five wins out of five when they face a struggling Club Tijuana on the 16th before traveling to Carson for their match with the Galaxy.
The LA Galaxy did well enough against Mexico’s weaker teams, managing a 5-2 win over Club Tijuana and a 4-0 win over Santos Laguna, but have struggled much more against stiffer competition. The loss in penalties to Cruz Azul revealed weaknesses in decision-making and execution, as Greg Vanney’s first-half plan allowed Cruz Azul to take the lead, and Joseph Paintsil and Marco Reus each missed chances to score in both halves.
Their latest test came against the Seattle Sounders, who handed the Galaxy a 4-0 loss in front of their own home fans. Seattle performed admirably in the Club World Cup and was the only team competing in the Leagues Cup to finish the group stage with victories in all three games, proving that they are at least as strong, if not stronger than Pachuca.
The Galaxy will need to dig deep to mend their surely shaken confidence and increase their level to match Pachuca’s in their knockout fixture.
Much is on the line as a win would not only allow them to advance to the semifinals but would also give the Galaxy a chance to compete for one of the three 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup spots.
Advancing to the Leagues Cup Semifinals would give the Galaxy a ticket to either the final itself, where both teams have already secured a CCL berth, or to the third-place match, where both semifinal losers would compete for the final CCL spot.
The implications for this quarterfinal against Pachuca go even further than the CCL. Qualification for the CCL would give the Galaxy the chance to compete with a much stronger team, thanks to the return of Riqui Puig and the introduction of other potential reinforcements. If the 2026 LA Galaxy can indeed compete at the continental level, they’ll have a chance to win and earn a place in the prestigious 2029 Club World Cup.
That journey may begin on Saturday if the Galaxy can pull themselves by the bootstraps and beat Pachuca. However, the journey may end before it’s truly begun as both teams’ recent form suggests that victory is a difficult prospect for the LA Galaxy.
Greg Vanney and his players will never say die, but their death warrants may be signed for them if they can’t turn things around soon.
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Categorized:Galaxy