LA Galaxy Starting XI: GK Novak Mićović; D Mauricio Cuevas, D Maya Yoshida ©, D Emiro Garcés, D Julián Aude; M Edwin Cerrillo, M Diego Fagundez, M Marco Reus, F Gabriel Pec, F Joseph Paintsil, F Matheus Nascimento
Substitutes: GK JT Marcinkowski, GK John McCarthy; D John Nelson, D Miki Yamane, D Zanka, D Eriq Zavaleta, M Tucker Lepley, M Isaiah Parente, M Lucas Sanabria, M Elijah Wynder, F Miguel Berry, F Christian Ramirez
Lineup Notes:
- Serbian goalkeeper Novak Mićović, 23, makes his 16th appearance across all competitions during the 2025 campaign in tonight's Leagues Cup match against Santos Laguna. Mićović, who holds a 1.53 goals-against average this season, recorded eight saves in LA's 5-2 win over Club Tijuana on July 31.
- LA Galaxy Academy product Mauricio Cuevas, 22, makes his fourth start across all competitions for LA during the 2025 campaign in tonight's match against Santos Laguna. Notably, Cuevas tallied the game-tying assist in LA’s 1-1 draw in regulation against Cruz Azul on Aug. 3. In his last two appearances off the bench dating back to July 19, Cuevas has tallied the game-tying assist. In three seasons with the LA Galaxy (2023-Present), the Los Angeles, Calif., native has logged two goals and four assists in 45 matches played (9 starts) across all competitions.
- Colombian defender Emiro Garcés, 23, who has tallied two goals and one assist in 26 appearances (22 starts) across all competitions for the Galaxy during the 2025 campaign, starts in defense in tonight's match against Santos Laguna. Garcés has recorded two goals and three assists in 40 career appearances (31 starts) across all competitions for the LA Galaxy (2024-Present).
- Maya Yoshida, who has recorded three goals and three assists in 78 appearances (75 starts) across all competitions in three seasons with the Galaxy (2023-Present), captains LA in his return to the starting lineup in the match against Santos Laguna. Notably, Yoshida played in three FIFA World Cups (2014, 2018, 2022) for the Japanese National Team. Yoshida was the only player on the Galaxy roster to appear in every MLS match (Regular Season & Playoffs) during the 2024 season. Yoshida has recorded one goal in 25 appearances (22 starts) across all competitions for the Galaxy during the 2025 campaign.
- Julián Aude, who has tallied one goal in 28 appearances (14 starts) across all competitions during the 2025 campaign, makes his eighth consecutive start for the Galaxy in tonight’s match against Santos. Aude, 22, has recorded three goals and three assists in 80 matches played (52 starts) across all competitions in three seasons played with LA (2023-Present).
- Edwin Cerrillo, who has tallied one assist in 28 matches played (28 starts) across all competitions during the 2025 campaign, starts in midfield against Santos Laguna. Cerrillo, 24, has registered one goal and five assists in 80 career matches played (69 starts) across all competitions with the LA Galaxy (2023 - Present). Cerrillo has tallied one goal and eight assists in 153 career MLS regular season matches played (117 starts).
- Diego Fagundez, who tallied an assist in LA’s 5-2 victory against Tijuana on July 31, starts in midfield in tonight's match against Santos Laguna. Fagundez has tallied 77 goals and 76 assists in 415 career MLS regular-season games played (307 starts), and is the eighth player in MLS history to record at least 75 career goals and 75 assists in regular season play. Fagundez has recorded four goals and one assist in 29 matches played (25 starts) across all competitions during the 2025 campaign.
- Marco Reus, who recorded a goal against Club Tijuana on July 31, starts in midfield in tonight’s Leagues Cup match. Reus has registered 19 goal contributions (7 goals, 12 assists) in 32 career matches played (24 starts) across all competitions for LA (2024-Present). Additionally, Reus has recorded 14 goal contributions (6 goals, 8 assists) in his last 16 matches played for the Galaxy dating back to April 27. The Dortmund, Germany, native has logged five goals and eight assists in 18 matches played (15 starts) during the 2025 MLS Regular Season.
- Ghanaian international forward Joseph Paintsil, who has recorded 35 goal contributions (22 goals, 13 assists) in 58 career matches played (55 starts) across all competitions for LA, starts on the left wing against Santos Laguna. Paintsil has tallied seven goals and two assists in 21 matches played (19 starts) across all competitions for LA during the 2025 campaign. Notably, Paintsil has recorded six goals and one assist in his last six matches played at Dignity Health Sports Park dating back to May 31.
- 2024 MLS Newcomer of the Year Gabriel Pec, 24, who has recorded seven goals and four assists in 27 matches played (27 starts) across all competitions for LA during the 2025 campaign, starts on the right wing against Santos Laguna. Pec has totaled 50 career goal contributions (28 goals, 22 assists) in 68 appearances (65 starts) across all competitions in two seasons with the LA Galaxy (2024 - Present). Pec tallied a goal for a third consecutive match in LA’s 1-1 regulation draw against Cruz Azul on Aug. 3. In five career Leagues Cup matches played dating back to 2024, Pec has recorded four goals and one assist.
- Brazilian youth international forward Matheus Nascimento, who tallied a goal and an assist in the 5-2 win over Club Tijuana on July 31, starts up top in tonight’s match against Santos Laguna. The Niterói, Brazil native has notched four goals and four assists in 20 appearances (10 starts) for the Galaxy during the 2025 MLS Regular Season. Nascimento joined LA as a U22 Initiative Player on loan from Brazilian Série A side Botafogo on Feb. 19, 2025. Notably, Nascimento is the youngest player (16 years old) in club history to make their debut for Botafogo. Nascimento notched 12 goals and 7 assists in 98 appearances (55 starts) across all competitions in six seasons played with Botafogo (2020-25). At the international level, Nascimento has made multiple appearances for Brazil at the U-16, U-17, U-18, U-20 and U-23 age groups. The forward was part of the Brazilian National Team side that won the 2023 Pan American Games gold medal after defeating Chile in penalties on Nov. 4, 2023.
