Player Ratings: LA Galaxy Suffers Penalty Shootout Loss to Cruz Azul in Leagues Cup
The LA Galaxy’s Leagues Cup hopes take a dent following Sunday night’s penalty shoot-out loss to Cruz Azul. The reigning MLS Cup Champions have four points in the table, which puts them tied wth five other teams looking to be in the top four.
Dignity Health Sports Park was filled with a majority of Cruz Azul fans and an atmosphere that cheered on "Los Cementeros". A goal from “Charly” Rodriguez put the Mexican side on the scoreboard first in the 21st minute of the match.
LA clawed back with a goal from Gabriel Pec in the 81st minute of the match. He got on the end of a cross that was served by substitute Mauricio Cuevas. In the penalty shootout, both squads executed their spot kick, but misses from Edwin Cerrillo and Emiro Garces in the late rounds gave Cruz Azul the extra point in the matchup.
Here are the player ratings for LA’s second match of the competition. Substitutes with 20 minutes played or more will be given a rating. Here is the table after two complete matchdays.
N. Micovic 3/5
The goal that he conceded wasn’t his fault, and it was one of those plays that you can’t really put much blame on the goalkeeper. The distribution wasn’t really there on the night, but the rest of the squad struggled to play out from the back on the night.
Micovic couldn’t get a hand on the penalties he faced in the shootout, which knocks down his rating a bit. The Serbian was solid during regulation once again.
M. Yamane 3/5
Cruz Azul’s goal comes to fruition due to Yamane being aggressive in following Bogusz and no communication to Pec that Rotondi is making a darting run in behind. It wasn’t that great of a night for Yamane on both ends of the pitch.
He started the game off as a third center back, but then slowly started to play higher up the field. It was a struggle for him to get into a rhythm on the night, and eventually, he was subbed off for Cuevas.
E. Garces 3/5
The young Colombian was aggressive on the night as he found himself in physical duels with the Cruz Azul frontline. As usual, Garces wasn’t afraid to get into the challenges and also get into it with the Mexican opposition. He had a couple of blunders that weren’t capitalized on, and his penalty was saved, which played a major role in the defeat.
Zanka 3.5/5
I thought Zanka brought some calmness to the backline in possession and also did some quality defensive work on the night. It may not have been seen that way, but he was quietly one of the better players on the night. He finishes the game with 4/4 tackles won and four clearances on the night.
J. Aude 3/5
The Argentine had some flashes of individual quality early in the match, but his impact started to fade as the game went on. He struggles to stand out when Paintsil is being direct and looking to attack defenders each time he’s on the ball. Not a bad game from him, but not much impact from the young left back.
L. Sanabria 2/5
It was a poor night for the young Uruguayan against the Concacaf Champions on Sunday night. Sanabria was second to everything on the night and struggled most during possession. It was clear to see he struggled to position himself in good space during LA’s build-ups during the first half. With Reus playing as the False 9 rather than in the midfield, it adds more responsibility for the young midfielder during the Galaxy’s moments in possession.
Even defensively, he was chasing the ball and the attacker rather than being the force to stop the momentum. It wasn’t surprising to see him yanked at halftime, given he was a step behind everyone else. Not a confidence-building performance, as he still needs to work on being a presence in possession.
E. Cerrillo 3/5
A steady but unspectacular showing from the holding midfielder. Cerrillo was active early, picking up two fouls in the first 15 minutes as he tried to break up Cruz Azul’s rhythm.
He later contributed a clever pass on Paintsil’s 1v1 chance but was also one of two Galaxy players to miss in the shootout, his effort saved by Kevin Mier. He showed energy and effort but wasn’t able to consistently dictate the tempo or cover enough ground defensively.
D. Fagundez 2.5/5
Fagundez struggled to influence the game from deeper areas after the halftime adjustments shifted him into more of a two-way role.
He helped set up Reus’ early chance with a decent pass and was active defensively in spurts, but his yellow card summed up a night of frustration. His penalty in the shootout was confidently taken, but otherwise, he looked caught between roles and didn’t leave a big imprint.
G. Pec 4/5
The Brazilian winger was the most dangerous attacker in moments, even if his final product wavered. He was involved in several first-half opportunities and buried the Galaxy’s only goal of the night with a composed finish off a cross from Cuevas.
Pec’s awareness and movement in the box were sharp, but he was partially at fault for Cruz Azul’s opener, caught high and unable to track back in time. His effort can’t be questioned, but his touch let him down a couple of times.
M. Reus 3.5/5
Reus had a mixed night. He scuffed a pair of great chances in the first half that could’ve flipped the match early, and picked up a yellow card for a careless foul.
He played a role in the second-half equalizer with a switch to Cuevas and buried his penalty in the shootout. His effort was undeniable — evident in his all-out sprint on a late transition chance just after picking up an injury — but his technical sharpness wasn’t quite there tonight.
J. Paintsil 3/5
Paintsil was dangerous but lacked end product in key moments. He drew several fouls and created problems for Cruz Azul’s backline, even carving out a 1v1 chance in the 77th that was well saved.
He was also slapped with a questionable yellow card and had a couple of missed efforts from the edge of the box. He kept going until the end and calmly converted his penalty, but this performance lacked the killer instinct.
The lack of calls - especially the penalty claim at the end of stoppage time - added to the frustration on the night for Paintsil.
Subs
M. Nascimento 3/5
Nascimento came on at halftime and offered a bit more structure in midfield than Sanabria had. He wasn’t flashy, but his movement helped create space and he calmly slotted home his penalty in the shootout.
He did commit a few fouls and had some trouble adapting to the pace of the match, but overall gave Galaxy a steadier second half. It wasn’t a breakout performance, but it was an improvement.
M. Cuevas 4/5
The addition of the 22-year-old brought an injection of pace down the right side of the pitch. A great cross into the box from Cuevas created LA’s lone goal of the game and once again showed the quality that he brings.
Games where LA is throwing everything forward and needs a ball in the box are Cuevas’s calling card. His offense-oriented playstyle is made for these kinds of moments.