Player Ratings: LA Galaxy thump Xolos 5-2 in Leagues Cup Opener

Photo: LA Galaxy

The LA Galaxy began its Leagues Cup journey with a thrilling 5-2 win over Club Tijuana on Thursday night. A brace from Joseph Paintsil and goals from Gabriel Pec, Matheus Nascimento, and Marco Rues brought the offensive spark back to Dignity Health Sports Park.

Despite the scoreline, Xolos made the Galaxy work to close the game. The Liga MX side leveled the game twice on the night, with both goals from 16-year-old wonderkid Gilberto Mora. LA eventually pulled away and took all three points. With the victory, LA sits third in the Leagues Cup table (Only the top four advance). 

Here are the player ratings for LA’s opening match in the competition. Substitutes with 20 minutes played or more will be given a rating.

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N. Micovic 4/5 

The Serbian keeper kept his spot in goal for Leagues Cup as LA Galaxy showed its faith in the 23-year-old.

Despite the two goals he allowed, the Serbian came up with crucial saves during the game. With goal difference being extremely important in this tournament, Micovic could end up being the reason LA can advance into the second phase. 

Micovic’s command in the box has much improved in the last year. He’s confident and decisive in claiming the ball from crosses, which was an area of his game that was lacking. The Galaxy’s faith in the young shot-stopper paid off tonight. 

J. Aude 2.5/5

With Paintsil dominating on the left side of the pitch, Aude’s offensive tendencies weren’t fully on display on the night. He held his own defensively at times and helped LA’s ball movement when Xolos sat back. The young Argentine is looking to cement the left back spot as his for the rest of the season.

Zanka 2.5/5

The 35-year-old had a quiet night, which qualifies as a good thing. Zanka has been shaky for good portions of this season, but didn’t have much of an impact in this match. He looks more comfortable next to Garces, which is the positive takeaway of the night. 

E. Garces 4/5

The Colombian was the best player on the backline on Thursday night. He made key plays and made it difficult for Xolos to get clear looks at the goal when he was defending. 

Garces registered a goal-line clearance, six clearances, two interceptions and three defensive recoveries. He wasn’t afraid to get his kit dirty on the night to win the ball at all costs. He looks motivated and ready to hold the backline down with Maya Yoshida out.

M. Cuevas 2.5/5

The crosses from Ceuvas on the night failed to replicate the quality and accuracy that he can deliver. He did win a penalty in the first half with good close control in the box, but didn’t add too much in the attack. 

There is still a need to be a leap in his defensive abilities, but he wasn’t a liability on the night for the Galaxy. With more playing time, he should find ways to impact the game more - that’s what’s needed for him to be consistently in the starting lineup. 

E. Cerrillo 3/5

Games like this are where Cerrillo can fade in the background. The focus was on the attack all night, but the 24-year-old remains a steady presence on the pitch for the Galaxy. He sets the tempo for the LA and is also key to the team's defensive performance. Like many of the other players on the backline, Cerrillo didn’t make many mistakes or cost the team on the night.  

D. Fagundez 3/5

Fagundez showed his usual spark in midfield, staying involved early with a dangerous free kick in the 8th minute that forced a save. His best moment came in the 39th minute when he picked up an assist, calmly laying the ball off to Gabriel Pec for a composed finish from range.

However, his second half was quieter. A loose pass on a promising break in the 55th minute spoiled a potential scoring chance, and he committed a needless foul just past the hour mark. Subbed off in the 68th minute, his influence faded late. A solid showing overall, but not one of his more dominant performances.

M. Reus 3.5/5 

Quiet for long stretches but delivered when it mattered. Reus wasn’t heavily involved in the build-up but made his few moments count with decisive contributions in both halves.

His early involvement set the tone, notably with a smart through ball that led to LA’s first penalty. However, his best moment came in the 82nd minute, when he made a smart run and calmly finished off a cutback from Paintsil to give the Galaxy breathing room. The 36-year-old was subbed off soon after in the 87th minute after yet another solid shift.

G. Pec 3.5/5

Pec picked up right where he left off in El Tráfico, terrorizing the Xolos defense all night and adding an extra dimension on the right side of the attack.

His best moment came in the 39th minute, when he unleashed a left-footed shot from long range that skipped into the bottom corner to put Galaxy ahead. He wasn’t as effective in the second half – he should’ve had an assist when he laid the ball off to Paintsil in transition, but he put it wide.

The Brazilian has been a missing piece in the Galaxy’s attack for some time now, but this newfound run of form could be the impetus for an unlikely run in this tournament.

J. Paintsil 4/5

Paintsil’s night was a rollercoaster. He consistently troubled the Tijuana defense with his pace and directness, earning a penalty in the 26th minute after a dazzling solo run. But his execution let him down, as he missed that penalty and later squandered multiple chances. 

He was frequently caught offside and lacked sharpness in decision-making. However, he redeemed himself with two second-half goals, one a composed finish in the 65th and another in stoppage time, and also provided a slick assist to Reus in the 82nd minute. A mixed but ultimately productive night.

M. Nascimento 4/5 

The Brazilian put in a quietly effective shift up top, converting a composed penalty in the 17th minute to open the scoring and linking play well throughout the night. 

His best moment came in the 65th minute when he played a smart first-time layoff to set up Paintsil’s winner. He drew attention with his movement and stayed technically sharp. Not many touches after the assist, but still a strong performance on the night.

Subs

J. Nelson 2.5/5

M. Yamane 3.5/5

The Japanese fullback wasted no time making an impact on the bench. Yamane read the situation and played a great ball for Paintsil to use his pace and score his second goal of the night.

L. Sanabria 2.5