LOS ANGELES (Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025) – The LA Galaxy secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Orlando City SC on Sunday afternoon, clinching a berth in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup and earning a third-place finish in Leagues Cup 2025.
“This is a challenging tournament; it’s the best teams from two Leagues and it’s been hard to get to this point... but the team got the result,” said LA Galaxy Head Coach Greg Vanney. “The LA Galaxy should be in Champions [Cup]. It’s one of the expectations we have for ourselves, and the team got it done.”
LA Galaxy Against Orlando City SC
Sunday’s match marks the ninth all-time all-competitions meeting between LA and Orlando City SC, with the LA Galaxy trailing the all-time series 3-5-0. The last meeting between the two teams, LA fell 2-1 on the road to Orlando City SC at Exploria Stadium on March 29,2025. In three all-time matches played at Dignity Health Sports Park against the Lions, the Galaxy hold a 2-1-0 record.
LA Galaxy in Leagues Cup
In 11 all-time Leagues Cup matches played under the current format, which began in 2023, the LA Galaxy hold a record of 5-4-2 (20 GF, 16 GA). In nine all-time League Cup matches played at Dignity Health Sports Park, the Galaxy hold a record of 4-3-2 (17 GF, 12 GA). In six matches played in Leagues Cup 2025, the LA Galaxy hold a record of 4-1-1 (14 GF, 7 GA).
Next Match
The LA Galaxy return to 2025 Regular Season competition on Saturday, September 6 at 5:30 p.m. PT (MLS Season Pass) at Shell Energy Stadium against Houston Dynamo FC. Originally postponed due to inclement weather on Friday, July 25, 2025, the MLS Regular Season match between LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo FC marks the 45th all-time meeting across all competitions between the LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo FC, with LA leading the series 18-14-12. Against Houston, the Galaxy hold a 14-14-12 record in league play, a 1-0-0 record in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and a 3-0-0 record in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
Goal-Scoring Plays
LA – Marco Reus (Gabriel Pec), 9th minute: Miki Yamane played Gabriel Pec a ball down the right flank. Pec dribbled and beat his defender on the right side of the box before playing it across to Reus who scored from the six-yard box.
ORL – Martin Ojeda (Muriel), 60th minute: After a cross into the 18-yard box, Muriel volleyed a pass to Ojeda, who struck the ball mid-air into the net.
LA – Joseph Paintsil (John Nelson), 66th minute: After a chaotic sequence in Orlando’s 18-yard box, John Nelson won the ball back and played it to Joseph Paintsil, who shot with his right foot from the top of the box into the bottom right corner of the goal.
Postgame Notes
- Wednesday’s Leagues Cup 2025 Third Place match between LA and Orlando City SC marked the 9th meeting across all competitions between the two teams, with the LA Galaxy trailing the all-time series 3-5-0.
- In 11 all-time Leagues Cup matches played under the current format, which began in 2023, the LA Galaxy hold a record of 5-4-2 (20 GF, 16 GA).
- In nine all-time League Cup matches played at Dignity Health Sports Park, the Galaxy hold a record of 4-3-2 (17 GF, 12 GA).
- In six matches played in Leagues Cup 2025, the LA Galaxy hold a record of 4-1-1 (14 GF, 7 GA).
- LA holds a 5-3-2 (21 GF, 14 GA) record in ten matches played across all competitions dating back to July 31.
- In 12 matches played at Dignity Heath Sports Park across all competitions dating back to May 31, the LA Galaxy have held a 8-3-1 record and have outscored their opponents 25-14 during that span.
LA Galaxy Starting XI: GK Novak Mićović; D Miki Yamane, D Emiro Garces (Rindov, 46), D Maya Yoshida (C), D John Nelson (Berry, 68); M Diego Fagundez (Cuevas, 80), M Eljah Wynder (Sanabria, 58), M Edwin Cerillo, F Joseph Paintsil, F Gabriel Pec, F Marco Reus (Aude, 58)
Substitutes: GK JT Marcinkowski, D Harbor Miller, D Zanka, M Tucker Lepley, M Isaiah Parente, F Christian Ramirez
Referee: Pierre-luc Lauziere
Assistant Referees: Stefan Tanaka-Freundt, Gerard Lebuis
Fourth Official: Adonis Garcia
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic
Weather: Clear, 85 degrees
Attendance: 12,129
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
