INDIO (Feb. 8, 2026) – The LA Galaxy opened the 2026 Coachella Valley Invitational (CVI) with a 3–2 loss to Chicago Fire FC at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Chicago jumped out to a 2–0 halftime lead, but a second‑half brace from Gabriel Pec pulled the Galaxy level at 2–2. Chicago then netted the late winner, handing LA their first loss of the preseason.
Goalscoring Plays
CHI – Hugo Cuypers (Philip Zinckernagel), 30th minute: Chicago struck on the counter, with Zinckernagel slipping a ball in behind for Cuypers to finish.
CHI – Philip Zinckernagel (Maren Haile‑Selassie), 37th minute: Zinckernagel doubled the lead with a low strike into the bottom‑right corner from the top of the box.
LAG – Gabriel Pec (João Klauss), 51st minute: João Klauss held up possession in Chicago’s half before threading a precise pass into the run of Pec, who slotted it home to make it 2–1.
LAG – Gabriel Pec (Marco Reus), 76th minute: After his own shot was saved, Marco Reus recovered the rebound and set up Pec, who then curled the ball into the bottom‑right corner for his brace.
CHI – Chris Mueller (Omari Glasgow), 82nd minute: Against the run of play, Glasgow delivered a driven cross from the left wing, finding Mueller at the back post for the decisive finish.
Game Summary
Chicago’s high press caused problems throughout the first half, forcing turnovers and preventing LA from settling into rhythm. Novak Mićović kept the Galaxy in the match with several sharp diving saves, while Joseph Paintsil produced LA’s best early look, breaking down the left and sending a shot just wide in the 11th minute. But Chicago capitalized on Galaxy giveaways, with Hugo Cuypers finishing a counter in the 30th minute and Phillip Zinckernagel doubling the lead with a low strike in the 37th. LA created a few half‑chances late, but Chicago controlled the period and took a 2–0 lead into the break.
LA opened the second half with urgency. A flowing 50th‑minute counter involving Paintsil, Klauss, Pec, and Reus set the tone before Klauss slipped a perfectly-weighted ball in behind for Pec, who finished with his left foot to cut the deficit to 2–1. Pec remained dangerous, nearly linking with Klauss again minutes later and forcing a diving save from a free kick in the 55th.
The Galaxy brought on John Nelson for Julian Aude and Matheus Nascimento for João Klauss in the 60th minute, while Chicago swapped out their entire lineup. Mićović tipped a long‑range effort wide in the 67th, and Nascimento saw a shot deflect just off target in the 72nd. LA’s persistence paid off in the 76th when a long ball triggered a quick exchange between Nascimento, Reus, and Pec, who buried his second of the match to level the score. LA pushed hard for a winner, but Chicago reclaimed the lead against the run of play in the 82nd with a back‑post finish. Paintsil forced a late save, but the Galaxy couldn’t find an equalizer and the match ended 3-2 in favor of Chicago.
Notes
- João Klauss recorded his first preseason assist for the Galaxy in the match.
- Gabriel Pec notched his first and second goals of the preseason, both in the second half.
- Jakob Glesnes, Justin Haak, and João Klauss made their preseason debut in front of the fans, their first outside of the previous closed-door scrimmages.
Next Up
The LA Galaxy continue CVI play with a match against St. Louis CITY SC on Wednesday, February 11 at 11 a.m. PT. The match will be broadcast in Los Angeles on FOX 11 Plus (KCOP), with live streaming available on LAGalaxy.com/stream.
Information
Match: LA Galaxy vs Chicago Fire FC
Date: February 8, 2026
Venue: Empire Polo Club; Indio, California
Weather: Clear and 77°F
Scoring Summary 1 2 F
LA Galaxy 0 2 2
Chicago Fire FC 2 1 3
CHI: Hugo Cuypers (Philip Zinckernagel) 30’
CHI: Philip Zinckernagel (Maren Haile-Selassie) 37’
LAG: Gabriel Pec (João Klauss) 51’
LAG: Gabriel Pec (Marco Reus) 76’
CHI: Chris Mueller (Omari Glasgow) 82’
Lineup
LA Galaxy: Novak Mićović; Julián Aude (John Nelson, 60’), Jakob Glesnes, Emiro Garcés, Miki Yamane; Justin Haak, Elijah Wynder, Marco Reus; Joseph Paintsil, Gabriel Pec, João Klauss (Matheus Nascimento, 60’)
Subs not used: JT Marcinkowski, Brady Scott, Mauricio Cuevas, Harbor Miller, Julian Placias (//), Chris Rindov, Mason Vanney (^), Maya Yoshida, Edwin Cerrillo, Tucker Lepley, Lucas Sanabria, Erik Thommy, Dylan Vanney (^), Christian Ramirez, Ruben Ramos Jr.
^ – Academy
II – Ventura County FC
