LA next plays host to Seattle Sounders FC in Leagues Cup 2025 Semifinal at Dignity Health Sports Park on Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 7:45 p.m. PT
LOS ANGELES (Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025) – Continuing their 2025 MLS Regular Season campaign, the LA Galaxy earned a 3-0 shutout win over the Colorado Rapids before 20,203 fans at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday night. Harbor Miller and Elijah Wynder both scored their first career MLS goals, while JT Marcinkowski earned a shutout on his LA Galaxy debut. Next up, LA will play host to Seattle Sounders FC in the Leagues Cup 2025 Semifinal at Dignity Health Sports Park on Wednesday, Aug. 27 (7:45 p.m. PT; MLS Season Pass).
LA Galaxy Against Colorado Rapids
Saturday’s 2025 MLS Regular Season match between the LA Galaxy and Colorado Rapids marked the 99th all-time meeting across all competitions between the LA Galaxy and the Colorado Rapids, with LA leading the series 49-35-13. Against the Rapids, the Galaxy hold a 41-33-13 record in league play, a 1-0-0 record in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and a 9-2-0 record in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. In four meetings between the Galaxy and Rapids across all competitions during the 2024 campaign, LA held an unbeaten record of 4-0-0 (15 GF, 4 GA). In the last two meetings across all competitions between the two teams at Dignity Health Sports Park dating back to Oct. 26, 2024, the LA Galaxy hold an unbeaten record of 2-0-0 and have outscored the Rapids 8-0. In 44 all-time league matches played at home against the Rapids, the Galaxy hold a 27-11-6 record.
Goal-Scoring Plays
LA – Harbor Miller (Miki Yamane, Tucker Lepley), 14th minute: After winning the ball in midfield, Tucker Lepley sprung Miki Yamane down the right side of the penalty area. Yamane’s first-time pass across the center of the box found Harbor Miller, whose right-footed shot found the bottom right corner of the goal.
LA – Elijah Wynder (Miki Yamane), 55th minute: Driving with the ball from the left side of midfield, Elijah Wynder played a one-two pass with Miki Yamane just inside the middle of the box. Wynder’s ensuing first-time effort was fired in at the far post.
LA – Gabriel Pec (Marco Reus, Joseph Paintsil), 75th minute: From a counter-attacking play, Marco Reus played a no-look through ball that released Gabriel Pec in behind the Colorado defense. Pec took a touch, dribbled towards the goal and rolled his shot through the legs of Colorado goalkeeper Zack Steffen.
Postgame Notes
- LA holds a 4-2-2 (19 GF, 11 GA) record in eight matches played across all competitions dating back to July 31.
- Saturday’s 2025 MLS Regular Season match between the LA Galaxy and Colorado Rapids marked the 99th all-time meeting across all competitions between the LA Galaxy and the Colorado Rapids, with LA leading the series 49-35-13.
- Against the Rapids, the Galaxy hold a 41-33-13 record in league play, a 1-0-0 record in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and a 9-2-0 record in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
- In the last two meetings across all competitions between the two teams at Dignity Health Sports Park dating back to Oct. 26, 2024, the LA Galaxy hold an unbeaten record of 2-0-0 and have outscored the Rapids 8-0.
- In 44 all-time league matches played at home against the Rapids, the Galaxy hold a 27-11-6 record.
- Harbor Miller recorded his first career MLS goal, becoming the second-youngest player in team history to score a goal (Regular Season or Playoffs).
- JT Marcinkowski made his LA Galaxy debut, logging a save and a shutout in the win over Colorado.
- Marcinkowski logged his first MLS Regular Season appearance and shutout since playing 90 minutes in a 2-0 win over Seattle Sounders FC on July 12, 2023, a span of two years, 1 month and 11 days.
- Elijah Wynder notched his first career MLS goal in 90 minutes of action in the win against Colorado.
- Chris Rindov made his LA Galaxy debut and earned his first career MLS start, logging 90 minutes in the 3-0 shutout victory over the Rapids.
- Miki Yamane, who has notched five assists in 28 appearances (23 starts) across all competitions this season for LA, recorded two assists in the win against Colorado.
- Ruben Ramos Jr., who has logged five appearances (2 starts) across all competitions during the 2025 campaign, made his first appearance for LA since last starting and playing 45 minutes against Real Salt Lake on April 5.
- Tucker Lepley, who was making his first start for the Galaxy since April 5, notched his first career MLS assist in the 3-0 shutout win against Colorado.
- In 26 minutes of action off the bench, Marco Reus recorded an assist and four chances created.
- Gabriel Pec recorded a goal off the bench, his eight goal across all competitions during the 2025 campaign, in the win over the Colorado Rapids.
Next Game
Next up, the LA Galaxy play host to Seattle Sounders FC in the Semifinals of Leagues Cup 2025 at Dignity Health Sports Park on Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 7:45 p.m. PT (MLS Season Pass).
2025 MLS Regular Season
LA Galaxy (4-16-7, 19 pts) vs. Colorado Rapids (10-12-6, 36 pts)
Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 – Dignity Health Sports Park (Los Angeles)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
LA Galaxy 0 0 0
Colorado Rapids 0 0 0
Scoring Summary:
LA: Miller (Yamane, Lepley), 14
LA: Wynder (Yamane), 55
LA: Pec (Reus, Paintsil), 75
Misconduct Summary:
COL: Cannon (caution), 61
LA: Wynder (caution), 69
LA: Sanabria (caution), 90+2
Lineups:
LA: GK JT Marcinkowski; D Miki Yamane, D Chris Rindov, D Zanka, D John Nelson (Julián Aude, 80), M Edwin Cerrillo © (Gabriel Pec, 64), M Elijah Wynder, M Lucas Sanabria, M Harbor Miller (Joseph Paintsil, 65), M Tucker Lepley (Ruben Ramos Jr., 77), F Miguel Berry (Marco Reus, 64)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Novak Mićović, D Mauricio Cuevas, M Diego Fagundez, F Christian Ramirez
TOTAL SHOTS: 17 (Gabriel Pec, Joseph Paintsil, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (Five players tied, 1); FOULS: 14 (Elijah Wynder, 5); OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 6; SAVES: 1
COL: GK Zack Steffen; D Sam Vines (Rafael Santos, 80), D Andreas Maxso ©, D Noah Cobb, D Reggie Cannon; M Oliver Larraz (Daouda Amadou, 80), M Cole Bassett, M Calvin Harris (Alex Harris, 69), M Ted Ku-DiPietro (Paxten Aaronson, 59), M Darren Yappi (Sam Bassett, 80), F Rafael Navarro
Substitutes Not Used: GK Nicolas Defreitas-Hansen; D Keegan Rosenberry, D Rob Holding, D Ian Murphy
TOTAL SHOTS: 12(Four players tied, 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 1 (Ted Ku-DiPietro, 1); FOULS: 11 (Oliver Larraz, 4); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 6; SAVES: 2
Referee: Pierre-Luc Lauziere
Assistant Referees: Jeremy Kieso, Diego Blas
Fourth Official: Malik Badawi
VAR: Carol Anne Chenard
Weather: Clear, 74 degrees
Attendance: 20,203
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
LA GALAXY POSTGAME QUOTES
LA GALAXY HEAD COACH GREG VANNEY
On the match:
“Tonight was a night I saw a ton of progress that maybe we haven't seen in other games for some of the guys, but with a real opportunity from the start you see that some of the guys are making a ton of progress. That's a good thing. Elijah was awesome tonight. He was really, really good. I thought his field awareness, feel for time, his relationship with Edwin was really good. His power to carry beyond lines and to drive the game forward and obviously to get himself into goal scoring position is something we kind of talked about at halftime, is that our pivots, specifically Elijah, could roll off and join the attack based on how they were trying to press us. He took it and ran with it. Yeah, he was excellent. Again, can't say one thing about him off the top of my head that was out there. I thought Lucas had a great game. Probably his best one for us. Started off a little higher up the field this time. Thought he looked powerful. He was running around the field. He was compete. He was combative. Again, the ball was popping off his foot at the right speed and getting to the right places. Yeah, I'm going to end up going through everybody. Some of the guys we already know, the Mikis and the Johns and the Zankas. Chris Rindov was outstanding too, like just Steady Eddie. He's been like that all season with the second team. He's been kind of the stabilizer for a pretty young back line on this team, and he came out like a seasoned pro today and really did his job. Tucker was great. Just can't get ahold of him. Gets you out of situations and keeps the ball moving. Yeah, he was smooth.
And on the side Harbor, which was where we started. Harbor is kid with a ton of confidence and ability. He wasn't even really playing his position. He was going back to his days as an academy player out on the wing. We wanted to use him as a hybrid wingback/winger so he would defend a little bit lower and match Cannon a little bit on the defensive side. We knew he could handle that no problem and attack up the left side. He was mature, good decision, showed a ton of confidence out there. He's ready for this level. This is where he needs to be and continue to play and progress and move his game forward. It was fun. Miguel put up a good shift up there occupying those guys and giving us an outlet sometimes when they were going man-on-man press. I thought JT, I was really happy for JT. You know, the thing is that JT came into this situation and he was the third goalkeeper, as the third goalkeeper not playing with the second team, training every day, like you just don't really know what your purpose is sometimes. We tried to keep him focused and he never wavered. He was always working on getting himself healthy again after what's been a long road of knee injury for almost 18 months or so. Getting a couple games. But he's been a top, top pro every single day. His communication is incredible. His presence is great. I was happy for him today. He earned and deserved the opportunity today and he lived up to it the way he's capable. This guy has been a starter in the league, so it was just about him getting himself back to health and getting into a rhythm and getting an opportunity. He was the right guy for today given the group that was around him. They gave him a lot of stability and confidence back there. It was fun to watch and fun to be a part of. Obviously when the other team is gone 60 Minutes and trying to track those guys around, to come on with the other three is just a nightmare for the other team. I felt sometimes when we were playing into the depth I could see the faces of the guys that were having to chase Joe down and Gabe down, and they were spent by that point. Not so bad to have that kind of quality and kind of danger coming into the game a little bit later when the opposition is, like I said, a little tired. It was a fun night. We haven't had a ton of those this year. It was a fun night. Built some momentum and confidence for the group as we go into a huge night on Wednesday. We got some guys rested and get some guys ready to go.”
*
On how this match keeps the team rolling into Leagues Cup:*
“Yeah, couple pieces alluded to. First is we get some guys some rest who have been playing a ton of minutes over the last stretch. So that's good for them. The second part is the guys that went out there today were fantastic. Whichever guy I call on to come into the game or help our team on Wednesday or whoever is -- like those guys have to be really confident and ready to go and champing at the bit for another opportunity too. It really helps from top to bottom everyone who is going to be involved Wednesday. Sometimes when you rotate that heavily you don't get the emotion we got out of today. The locker room was buzzing for the guys, two guys get their first goals, couple guys getting first starts, and Chris getting his maybe first MLS start maybe. So the locker room was buzzing and that kind of camaraderie just is positive. It's going to be a really tough game Wednesday, but to have this as a foundation to build off is nice. Proud of these guys.”
On his plans for Harbor Miller moving forward:
“He'll be with us. He's going to get some opportunity for sure to play, and we want to try to get him ready for next season and build him forward. We always knew at about mid-point, some point mid-point this season he was going to transition into being more closely with us. Obviously it's coincided with the emergence of [Mauricio] as well on that side, and typically his position is on the right back. Miki had a great game tonight, too. He's so comfortable playing on the right side, on the left side. Not necessarily always as a winger, but he needs to be playing at this level. It's on me and us to get him opportunities to utilize the rest of the season to put his floor higher as we go into next year. His ceiling is very high. It's just about, again, and it may be that somebody won't be playing as much as they want or maybe he is -- we'll find some opportunities for him, but he'll be getting some minutes down the stretch.”
On if he looked at Lucas and Elijah for the same path to get them up to speed and ready to go for next year:
“Yeah, for sure. Going to be a big part of this season. It's investment time now. Investment in these guys' growth and wanting to see the things we been trying to work through over the course of the season. A lot of our season is going to be really spreading the minutes around and really getting guys opportunities to further their game and prepare them for what's going to happen next season. In the meantime, we have a championship we're playing for here over the next week and then we have the Campeones Cup as well, some hardware that we're playing for, but some of the seen will be about investing in some of these guys as we move into next year eventually.”
On what he likes about Chris Rindov:
“I have to give a lot of credit to the guys, you know, who are putting the team together and seeing and recognizing him. We always have liked and had guys in the past with GII who we always like having that one veteran center back, especially with young center backs that we are bringing up next to him, a stabilizer, a leader. Chris is top a pro. Like every day without fail he's the first guy here. He's in the weight room, got his buds in, and doing his routines and working out. He's one of the last guys to leave. I saw him now. We've had him on the roster for two games. He goes out to the field and he is working out of his position and visualizing the things he's going through. This kid is a top pro. He's investing in himself and his career. I've seen him doing it in watching the second team all year, and he's just been a rock for that team and a leader, and I'm glad that he got the opportunity tonight. He earned it and he's going to earn more opportunities with the way he played tonight. It was good for him. Great way to present yourself when you get the opportunity. That's what you're supposed to do.”
On being able to rely on the teams depth:
“Yeah, it's imperative with your roster in this league that you have depth, especially when you're playing in multiple competitions, and we were at the beginning of the season. A lot of the younger guys were maturing at the beginning of the season, some of them just settling in and hadn't seen the league, played much in the league or been in the country for Lucas, for example. My hope for them was growth. Sometimes that happens fast and sometimes that's a little bit slower, but I think tonight was a great example that they are -- there is growth there. Now, every game is different. Every challenge will be different. Just because tonight went so smooth for them there still will be more challenges in the upcoming opportunities. That's why the last 10 or 11 games or whatever we have left will be important for them. They'll see different things than was tonight, and that's going to -- they'll have to respond to those moments. But we need to make this team deeper, and part of that is moving these young playing coming along, and part of it over son where you bring in players to fill roles and spots. These two things have to converge as we move into next year so we can have a deep team, because with the way the schedule is next year it's going to be super congested with the World Cup break and games will come fast you have to have rotation and not big drop offs. So that's the big part of the investment for us in the stretch, too. Just bring these guys along.”
On Lucas and Elijah working together:
“Yeah, I like Lucas a little higher. He's a powerful runner and I like he's willing to run through the lines and he can -- he likes space. He likes to work with space in the duel. So I liked him up there in that role today. Again, it was one of his better games. Just in the last 30 minutes when we took Eddie off he dropped down into the pivot with Elijah. I thought the game was a little looser there, not quite as tight as it was in the first part, the first 45 or 60 Minutes. I thought he benefitted from that. He looked again when he and Elijah were together, but I thought there was space in between the lines that was good for him. But I like him higher. One of the things I thought was Elijah showed his ability throughout the course of the game to play in good coordination with Edwin. I thought the two of them had really good control of the lower pivot of when to show up and show up for each other. I thought that relationship was good and like I said I like Lucas high. I like him having space to run. That's what he did more in Uruguay, he played up higher in the gap and not so low. So we will bring them both along and see what suits them. That's part of it. For me and I've been trying to figure out are these more comfortable high in a gap in between -- behind the midfield line and in front of the back like or are they better in between the forwards and the midfield line where there is the intricacies of the pivot stuff. To be fair, I have been also assessing them to figure out what was going to be their comfort zone as we work through the process. Tonight was a good look at that. We will see as they keep growing.”
On Nascimento’s status:
“Groin strain. Was not major. He'll be -- we will see how he fares over the next few days, so I say questionable for Wednesday but possible. I don't see it being any longer than that, but I put it one more day today just to see how he responds each day. See how he goes, but for sure tonight wasn't worth any of it, right?
LA GALAXY GOALKEEPER JT MARCINKOWSKI
On his injuries and the path back to playing tonight:
“Yeah, it was middle of October 2023. Played a friendly game and just like a freak accident. Kind of tore everything up in my knee. From that night on it was like, all right, how do I figure this out to get back to playing? It was a long, long process with a lot of ups and downs. Beginning was a lot of downs and a lot of questioning I think my path forward. I'm super thankful for the people I had around me, my physical therapist, my entire support team, my fiancée, my family. This night is just as much for them as it is for me.”
On getting the start and then get the shutout and having such a great night:
“Yeah, honestly wasn't unexpected for us. I think the guys who played tonight have been training all year and been training great. We have a really deep group and tonight showed that. To get the start was great. It was just going back to what I love, just getting back to it. Once I was on the field again it just felt like normal. You know, felt like the place I wanted to be.”
On how he prepared himself for this moment:
"Yeah, I think the preparation is day to day. As a goalkeeper that's kind of our life. Only one of the guys is going to play. We are very rarely subbed into games, and more often than not an emergency case, if at that. But I think just staying ready and staying prepared, acting like I'm a starter in training and acting like I'm the No. 1 just to keep my confidence high and to make sure I make the most of every rep. I think when I'm not playing or when any goalkeeper is not playing it's hard, but that's the mental fortitude you need to play the position.”
On why he signed with the Galaxy:
“They won [in 2024], so that was a pretty good reason why. I think being up in the Bay Area and playing for San Jose for so long we have had a lot of battles with Galaxy, and I think it's an amazing club. It's one that I always strived to get to, and I'm super happy to be here.”
*
On the process of going through rehab and coming out on the other end:*
“Yeah, like I said, I think it was a daily battle. It's really hard in long-term rehab to think about the end goal and getting back on the field. More often than not I was just trying to get through my rehab of that day. Whatever the exercise was, whatever I tried to accomplish for that particular session. When I look back it kind of -- you build upon each day and the work that I put into it. Just the trust that I have in myself just comes from I think my preparation and my commitment to getting back on the field.”
On how he goes out and finds the mental fortitude to show up to work every day knowing he might not get the chance to play:
“I think it's all about perspective, gratitude. I think we play a sport we love for a living. It's only right I do my best every day. I think I would be selling myself short and selling the people that have helped me get here short if I didn't try my hardest every single day and make sure I was prepared. I think gratitude for the position I'm in. If I'm starting, not starting, playing or not, I think just coming out to train every single day and doing my best for myself and also my teammates, and I think that's how you become a good team. You get 30 guys putting their best effort into it and special things can happen.”
On what the team performance transition has been like for him:
“Yeah, I think the way that I was contributing is just being a good teammate. I think that's what was expected of me and going to be expected of me going forward. I think nothing changes after tonight. It's just showing up daily, putting my best foot forward, making sure I am there for my teammates, good times and bad. Like you said, it's been a rough year. No doubt about that. I think the only way we can go out to prove to ourselves and to our fans and show our fans the commitment they deserve is having good performances like tonight, having another one on Wednesday, and going from there.”
LA GALAXY MIDFIELDER ELIJAH WYNDER
On what it means to have a great performance and get the goal and do so on a night where the Galaxy needed that rotation:
"Yeah, obviously meant a lot for me to get the goal and have a good performance, like you said. I've been building for this for a while now, but it wasn't just me. We had the whole team put a collective performance in front to back. Had the three goals, had the shutout. So wasn't just me personally. I think the whole team, JT to the forwards, had a good performance.
On his goal:
"Yeah, I was driving in. I was going shoot it. I had a chance to shoot it first but saw Miki was wide open. Played it to him; didn't expect him to play it back to me. Just guided into the corner.”
On what his performance does for his confidence:
“I mean, it does a lot. Like you said, I've been bouncing in and out of the lineup, bouncing in and out of the roster. I played with the second team. At the end of the day you can only control so much. You just got to put yourself in a position to get your name called.”
On his relationship with Edwin and Lucas and how did it progress from early on to the end of the game:
"Yeah, obviously Eddie has been in there for a long time. He knows the system really well. He's a great leader, a great friend, so when I was in there he was helping me out the whole game, talking me through everything. And then when he leaves me and Lucas were in similar positions so we were just working together.”
On how it felt being out there tonight and getting an opportunity:
“Yeah, felt great just playing in general. It was a very fun game. Like you said, I was smiling the whole time, enjoying playing obviously. But I think when you're playing like we were playing today it's very enjoyable just to be out there.”
On what tonight's performance will do for the rest of the year:
"I think it puts everybody in a good position to be ready. Harbor got a goal, too. Chris played his first game, full 90. Puts everybody in a position to be ready and show that we're ready when we're needed.”
*
LA GALAXY DEFENDER HARBOR MILLER
*On his first career MLS goal scored for the Galaxy
“All I really remember is like the ball kind of bounced in midfield, and I took a take a touch right onto it, and I got clipped in the in the midfield. I don't know where the ball went after that. And then I got up. And I just saw the attack. And I was like every single opportunity the ball just went down the field I just knew I needed to sprint, just in case there was an opportunity the ball landed on my foot fortunately. Tucker (Lepley) slipped in Miki and then I'm arriving late and the balls just bouncing and it literally just fell right to my right to my feet. And honestly, I sort of like hit the ball and I don't even remember where I hit the back of the net. I just knew it was going in and I kind of just blacked out and just ran into the corner and celebrated like it was one of the best goals of my life. the radio it was, like, probably one of the best songs of my life.”
On playing with Ventura County FC this season and MLS NEXT Pro preparing him for this moment:
“I think you know, last year, I was primarily with them (VCFC) throughout the entire year, so I learned a lot about myself. How to play against bigger, stronger, faster players than me. I got a little stint with the first team at the beginning of the year and was, like, okay, like, now it's, you know, whenever I get my opportunities I just need to stay ready, and so I think VCFC has done a really great job of giving me the reps I need, and to go in there and just play my heart out every single day, you know? Coach Matt (Taylor) gives me the freedom as well to make mistakes and just to keep learning. No matter where you're playing at, no matter what level it's at… I know I'm going to give 100 percent, no matter what. So I want to say thank you to the staff and also for them for believing in me and still holding me to that standard and not saying, you know, he's playing with the first team . It's like I'm here, and I'm going to give everything I can, no matter where I'm playing. So, yeah, I think the training environment has been has been really good this season, especially the guys that have been giving everything. I couldn't be more thankful. The club is in a really a great spot right now in terms of moving players through the academy to the second team, and then now, obviously to the first team. I kind of just try to take the next step forward now and keep working wherever that is.”
