FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025) – Continuing their 2025 MLS Regular Season campaign, the LA Galaxy fell 3-1 on the road to Inter Miami CF before 20,846 fans at Chase Stadium on Saturday night. Next up, the LA Galaxy play host to C.F. Pachuca in Leagues Cup 2025 Quarterfinal match at Dignity Health Sports Park on Wednesday, Aug. 20 at 8:45 p.m. PT (MLS Season Pass).
LA Galaxy Against Inter Miami CF
Saturday’s 2025 MLS Regular Season between LA and Inter Miami marked the third MLS Regular Season meeting between the two teams, with the all-time series tied 1-1-1. In two matches played at Chase Stadium, LA holds a 1-1-0 record.
LA Galaxy Run of Form
LA holds a 2-2-2 (14 GF, 10 GA) record in six matches played across all competitions dating back to July 31. Joseph Paintsil scored his fifth goal of the 2025 MLS Regular Season in the match against Miami. Paintsil, who ranks first on the Galaxy with nine goals scored across all competitions during the 2025 campaign, has recorded five goal contributions (4 goals, 1 assist) in his last five matches played across all competitions dating back to July 31.
Credential Information for Leagues Cup 2025 Quarterfinal Matches at Dignity Health Sports Park
The accreditation application is now open to media for Leagues Cup 2025 Knockout Rounds. Media applications must be submitted by 2:00 p.m. PT on Monday, Aug. 18 for the Quarterfinals and on Sunday, Aug. 24 for the Semifinals. The online media credential application for the tournament knockout stage is accepting requests via the following link: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/0196db0f21047cfd928c9bcb45c925bc Please click on the link above to register or copy and paste it into your web browser.* Media wishing to attend a match should apply by 2:00 p.m. PT two days prior to the start of each Knockout Stage. No late applications or changes will be accepted after the deadline.** Details to apply for media accreditation for the Final match will be shared at a later date.
Goal-Scoring Plays
MIA – Jordi Alba (Sergio Busquets), 43rd minute: Sergio Busquets delivered a threaded pass that found the run of Jordi Alba down the right flank. Alba took a touch inside the penalty box and drilled his left-footed shot in at the near post.
LA – Joseph Paintsil, 59th minute: Working his way down the left flank, Paintsil sped past Marcelo Weigandt, nutmegged Gonzalo Lujan and fired his right-footed shot past Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari at the near post.
MIA – Lionel Messi, 84th minute: Lionel Messi picked up the ball at the top of the penalty area, cut inside on his right foot and dribbled back onto his left before unleashing a curling shot that found the bottom left corner.
MIA – Luis Suarez (Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul), 89th minute: Lionel Messi’s back-heeled pass found the run of Luis Suarez, whose shot from the right side of the penalty area picked out the far corner of the goal.
Postgame Notes
- Saturday’s 2025 MLS Regular Season between LA and Inter Miami marked the third MLS Regular Season meeting between the two teams, with the all-time series tied 1-1-1.
- In two matches played at Chase Stadium, LA holds a 1-1-0 record.
- LA holds a 2-2-2 (14 GF, 10 GA) record in six matches played across all competitions dating back to July 31.
- Joseph Paintsil scored his fifth goal of the 2025 MLS Regular Season in the match against Miami.
- Paintsil, who ranks first on the Galaxy with nine goals scored across all competitions during the 2025 campaign, has tallied four goals and one assist in his last five matches played dating back to July 31.
- Edwin Cerrillo started and played 90 minutes as a centerback for the Galaxy, his first time doing so since starting as a defender against LAFC on April 6, 2024.
- Elijah Wynder, who logged 45 minutes of action against Miami, made his first start for LA since starting and playing 61 minutes against the Philadelphia Union on May 14.
- Defender Chris Rindov was signed to a short-term agreement from MLS NEXT Pro affiliate Ventura County FC on Aug. 16.
Next Game
Next up, the LA Galaxy play host to C.F. Pachuca in Leagues Cup 2025 Quarterfinal match at Dignity Health Sports Park on Wednesday, Aug. 20 at 8:45 p.m. PT (MLS Season Pass).
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2025 MLS Regular Season*
LA Galaxy (3-16-7, 16 pts) at Inter Miami CF (13-5-6; 45 pts)
Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025 – Chase Stadium (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
LA Galaxy 0 1 1
Inter Miami CF 1 2 3
Scoring Summary:
MIA: Alba (Busquets), 43
LA: Paintsil, 59
MIA: Messi, 84
MIA: Suarez (Messi), 89
Misconduct Summary:
N/A
Lineups:
LA: GK Novak Mićović; D Miki Yamane, D Edwin Cerrillo, D Zanka, D John Nelson, M Elijah Wynder (Matheus Nascimento, 46), M Isaiah Parente (Julian Aude, 79), M Marco Reus © (Christian Ramirez, 87), F Diego Fagundez, (Lucas Sanabria, 79), F Gabriel Pec (Mauricio Cuevas, 79), F Joseph Paintsil
Substitutes Not Used: GK John McCarthy; D Chris Rindov, D Eriq Zavaleta, M Tucker Lepley
TOTAL SHOTS: 5 (Joseph Paintsil, 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (Three players tied, 1); FOULS: 3 (Three players tied, 1); OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 2; SAVES: 5
MIA: GK Oscar Ustari; D Gonzalo Lujan, D Jordi Alba, D Maximiliano Falcon, D Marcelo Weigandt, M Segio Busquets (C), M Telasco Segovia (Lionel Messi, 46), M Fafa Picault (Baltasar Rodriguez, 77), M Tadeo Allende (Rodrigo De Paul, 46), M Benjamin Cremaschi (Yannick Bright, 77); F Luis Suarez (Noah Allen, 90+4)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Rocco Rios-Novo; D Tomas Aviles, D Ian Fray, M David Ruiz
TOTAL SHOTS: 28 (Luis Suarez, 8); SHOTS ON GOAL: 8 (Luis Suarez, 3); FOULS: 8 (Eight players tied, 1); OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 2; SAVES: 5
Referee: Drew Fischer
Assistant Referees: Kathryn Nesbitt, Ryan Graves
Fourth Official: Rosendo Mendoza
VAR: Kevin Stott
Weather: Clear, 86 degrees
Attendance: 20,846
- All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial*
LA GALAXY POSTGAME QUOTES
LA GALAXY HEAD COACH GREG VANNEY
On keeping Nascimento out in the first half:
“Yeah, look, Wednesday he'll go. I had a plan on rotating some guys. Nasci was going to play a portion. Gab was going to play a portion. Marco was potentially going to play a portion. But we found ourselves in the game and I felt like we had some guys -- I tried to set myself up with ways to split the game up with some version in half or two-thirds or something for the group that we wanted to get off depending on how the game was going and how much we felt like guys were drowning or losing or getting fatigued, let's say. Nasci coming on was always going to be the plan around halftime. Elijah was feeling a little tight in the hamstring as he wasn't necessarily a total plan but we made that adjustment there. I agree; I felt like we started to find the game better. We started to look more dangerous. Told them I was going to give every opportunity for ourselves to get back into the game and then it was 1-1. Yeah, just trying to manage two things, which is seeing that game out, and getting a result but also being mindful of a couple guys just in terms of turnaround and things like that. Again, it's a difficult moment to try to be thinking about two things. But I thought in transitions we were getting out and we were looking like maybe we could get something but when we were breaking down we were very split apart as a team. So the idea there at the end was to try to keep a little bit more control of the spaces behind the ball when we did break out in transitions. Yeah, I feel like we were all right, and then, you know, Messi dribbles by us, which should never happen, and he does what he does, which is finish a chance when you get him the opportunity to look forward. But everything else was more or less -- more or less dealt with and it shouldn't happen. Lucas was there. He was in front of him. He needs to be a little less naïve, even foul him. But he can't let Messi dribble by him and have the ball facing our goal and have an opportunity. That changes the game; that changes everything, the momentum, everything, and I think the emotion down the stretch.”
On Messi’s style of play from his perspective:
“Yeah, it's incredible because he literally, to me, he looks like he's not healthy yet. That's just me. I'm not speaking for anybody. But he was not really moving. He was conserving and stretching at times. I felt like for guys behind the ball, we need to recognize, okay, he's not really changing speeds or hitting top speeds. He's coming off a hamstring injury. We just have to make his life really difficult and make him fight through every touch he gets. Make him fight through that moment. And that means talking to each other and making sure we are organizing the marking of him, and that is situated. He doesn't get -- just make it difficult. I feel like if you give him the opportunity, he can pull off any single play in any game from anywhere, and we just needed to -- yeah, I feel like we let it slip away. Because I don't think he needed to come off free. And if he does get free, then you've got to impede him and make sure that he and the ball don't both get on the other side of you. If he passes it you have to make sure you track it and stay with him. It was a little frustrating because I feel like he wasn't as dynamic as he's capable of being but he was still able to make the difference there. I know the pass was ridiculous. Again, the vision that he has to flick it right in the heel into the path of Suarez, I think it was. It just shows his quality and his awareness of the field. But again, I think at that point in the game at 1-1, we have to be a little less naïve. I know that's easier to stay than maybe to do sometimes with him but I feel like we just let one slip away. I thought there was at least a point there for us tonight.”
On Joe Paintsil’s improvement over the last nine matches and if he’s looking more like the leader he was last year:
“Yeah, I do. I feel like he's becoming more direct again, which is when I think he's at his best. When he's facing forward, when he's running forward, when he's playing and running, if he's going to pick up the ball on the dribble, just be direct and really go after guys. I think you noticed that he had a match-up that if he could get faced and forward and get the first couple steps that he could get around the corner in the match-up that he had. And I feel like he's recognizing these things in the game and these opportunities, and he's been able to, again, create chances, get some goal-scoring chances, finish a couple along the way. We need him to keep being dynamic like that. I liked him coming from, obviously, the outside, which we knew we were going to could as we shifted into the half. The first half we thought maybe we could catch him in a couple transition moments because they like to put their fullbacks really high, and we thought maybe we could get Joe running off the center backs in transition. But I liked him coming off the outside tonight for sure.”
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On if Gabriel Pec’s night ended earlier in preparation for Wednesday’s match:
*"Yeah, there's a couple things. There's a few of our guys who I think had a little bit of food poisoning discomfort over the last few days. Gab was one of them, a couple others, and so I was concerned a little bit about fatigue, hydration, stuff like that with him, as the game was progressing. Gab is a guy who is usually pretty good for every minute and pretty durable in every way. But I could see him at times kind of grimacing, and I felt like maybe he wasn't feeling so great out there. So there's a couple guys who have been fighting that over the last couple days. So I was a little mindful of Gab in that situation as well.”
On where the team is mentally given their record on the road:
"Yeah, I'll say what I said to them at the end of the game, is we were here and there was an opportunity to take something out of this game. Sometimes I think when you're on the road, 1-1 -- and against Miami, is not the worst result. But we have to be more mature and more savvy about how to go for the win without giving up the draw. And I feel like, again, little moments inside the game, our organization behind him underneath the ball versus sending too many numbers in the attack to trying to get the win and exposing ourselves in the other direction. There's some savviness that for us and some maturity in some of those moments, especially when you're on the road that you don't need to overexpose yourself with the goal of getting the win. The win is something you should be able to work through and you'll find your moments. But you can't -- sometimes you can't force it on the road. You have to be, like I said, a little more savvy, a little more aware, and a little more protective in certain situations. At times in some of our long possessions, just numbers just kept going forward, and we kept going forward and if that attack doesn't finish in transition, you're spread out. The recovery runs become more expensive physically. So I think, again, so many things are just maturity issues for us in certain situations where winning on the road little, like, details, especially on the defensive side, become so important.”
On navigating player health and wellness through a long and challenging season:
"Yeah, I mean, look, it's been an interesting season. I'll speak for MLS as a whole, as we, again, increase the amount of games, the amount of competitions. For us, obviously going through some roster changes after winning the championship, things like that. If team sort of depth is something you're still working on or bringing along younger players or your team depth isn't quite interchangeable in some positions, and sometimes a little bit like tonight where if you want to put somebody new on to the field; that person has similar qualities so that you don't have to change the game completely. The depth of the roster has become such a big thing, and you see it all around the world. If you look at a club like Manchester City, the amount of high-quality players and the amount of money they are spend to go load up their rosters, a lot of it is just to compete in all these different competitions and deal with, you know, whatever these guys are playing, 70- to 80-plus games a year sometimes; that, to me, becomes a difficult one. For us, we got a little younger and we got a little thinner in terms of our overall depth, and trying to manage these different competitions I think has taken its toll. Some of the profiles that we're mixing in different moments are just different. So we don't have anyone that's really similar to Joe and Gab that comes into the game at times if we need to give them a break to push them to the next game. So there's little things that we have to continue to work, and we are, and talking about as a group and how to continue to work how to build these things into the group as we get into two more transfer windows before the next season. Again, trying to build the depth and the quality and be able to sustain all these games that are coming our way. And also in our league, it's the travel and the distances. And next year we are going to be dealing with a World Cup that cuts out seven weeks, I think, roughly, in the middle of the season potentially which is going to push games closer together, more midweek games. It becomes a challenge. We've been facing it and we haven't been great and successful in it. We've done pretty well in the competitions, but we have not done well in the League in managing these moments.”
On if winning Leagues Cup means the season has been a success:
"We have to get through recovery and get through Wednesday but one step at a time. If we can put ourselves into that type of situation, I mean, I don't consider the season a success. But I consider us as having a success inside the season, which would be a good feeling as we would re-secure our Champions League; we would have another trophy. It would be a silver lining inside of what's been a really difficult season. But I don't know if I would just turn it around and call it a great season because of that. I think there's a lot of things that we need to take away from this year as we continue to build forward.”
LA GALAXY FORWARD JOSEPH PAINTSIL
On the night’s goal and what it meant for the team:
“Yeah, first of all, I would just give thanks to God or everything. Secondly, yeah, we came here for a win, and it's either a win or a point. Unfortunately it didn't go as we planned. With my goal, I always wanted to that space. I saw that space and I thought, let me just run with the ball and see whatever that will happen, and at times with God being so good, everything went through good. I would say we had a very good first half, and second half, also, there was a lot of space. And you know with the weather and the altitude and all these kind of things, it was also calm. But it's not on excuse. I would say we just lost and now we keep focused in on the next game. Now the most important thing is focus on the Wednesday game and give everything to God in this stage.”
On his improvement and directness in the past few matches:
“Yeah, kudos to Coach because he always tells me to always try no matter what because I always cut in to my right. So every training, he always tells me, no matter what, I should just keep going to my left and touch the ball with my left. No matter what happens, I should just keep trying no matter what. At least I will be a success even if I fail for ten times, there will be a successful one. So I really thank the coaches a lot for them giving me that faith and that confidence to do what I have to do. So I would just keep doing it and keep doing it, no matter how I feel and I know with one movement, it's going to be a success.”
On if the team is ready for Wednesday in spite of the loss and long travel between:
“Yeah, we are ready, not only me, the team is really ready. We have lost everything in this season, even though we have some few games left. But the most important thing for us as a team is just to focus on this Wednesday because it's really important. We just have to go all-out. Blood or sweat, we just have to do everything to win in our home game because now we have an advantage to play a home game. And we play in our home game, we need to show the collections and the individual player and as a team play, also, because we have to win on Wednesday no matter what. There is no excuses for us anymore. We just need to give the supporters what is they need because this season has been ups and downs for us; and the only thing that we can take home is just to focus on this Cup game and also the Campeones game ahead of us, and we just have to see whatever that comes out. But we have to win and just go to the next stage no matter what.”
On how the team has adjusted to new players and if the adjustment period impacts the joy of playing: |
“I think it hasn't. Because the players that came, even though they are new, they also know the system. It's just about finding the right moment, the right time. You know, as they are really new players, that doesn't mean they are not doing their job. They are also doing everything possible to also fit in the philosophy and everything. But as you can see, our season didn't really start good, and we don't need to put blames on the new players, and they are not doing what we are do. We lose as a team and we win as a team, and no matter what we need to focus and do our best on Wednesday. That's the most important thing. Whatever that is left behind should be left behind and just focus on the future, which is on Wednesday. We take one game at a time, and just keep focusing and just keep winning the game and we'll just see whatever happens next season because I think next season is going to be a greater season for us, especially we have our play maker Riqui back.”
On if he thinks winning Leagues Cup would be a success and what it means for him:
“Yeah, it's going to be a success for us. Because, you know, we are having a bad season. All we have to do is just win this Leagues Cup for every eyes and every bad mouth that has been saying all these kinds of things to us, to just shut down and shut up and see us winning the Cup. That is the most important thing. I think the fans, also, really are expecting the Cup that we are playing, the Leagues Cup. And I wish and hope and I pray that I will be in the final and the final is going to be in L.A., and I wish we play against whoever that qualifies, also, to the next final and then we just need to play. And I assure you, if we go to the final, we going to win this Leagues Cup.”
