By Tony Álvarez
One team will work to stay in the right track and the other one must avoid being derailed once again, as LA Galaxy hosts CF Cruz Azul this Sunday at Dignity Health Sports Park at 10:30 p.m. ET on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- Second ever matchup between teams
- Cruz Azul beat LA Galaxy 2-1 in the semifinal of the first Leagues Cup tournament
- Record at Leagues Cup: Galaxy (2-3), Cruz Azul (3-5)
LAST FIVE GAMES
- LA Galaxy:
- 3 Wins, 1 Draw, 1 Loss
- Had a stellar showing in their opener, winning 5-2 vs Tijuana
- CF Cruz Azul:
- 2 Wins, 2 Draws, 1 Losses
- Coming off disastrous 7-0 loss to Sounders on Thursday
MAIN STORYLINES
- Matheus Nascimento scored a goal and had an assist in Leagues Cup opener
- La Máquina had scored seven goals in their previous two games before allowing seven in their Leagues Cup opener
- LA Galaxy has scored two or more goals in four of their last five games
- LA Galaxy looking for fifth home win of the year in all competitions
- Los Cementeros have not won on the road this season
KEY FACTORS
- LA Galaxy:
* Matheus Nascimento becoming a factor on offense
* Joseph Paintsil to stay hot in goal contributions, had three in Leagues Cup opener
* A clean sheet will increase confidence in defense, last one happened July 4
* CF Cruz Azul:
* Ángel Sepúlveda must appear in attack to help offense
* Only one clean sheet in the current season
* Stayed on the West Coast but traveled from Seattle to Los Angeles for the game
WHAT TO EXPECT?
There is no question that the Galaxy has had a tough MLS season so far, but the defending MLS champions seem to be catching their groove, especially after their 5-2 Leagues Cup opening victory against Club Tijuana. A lot of “goods” were seen during that game, but two players stood out.
Matheus Nascimento seems to have created chemistry with his teammates after scoring a goal and assisting in another, and Joseph Paintsil once again was part of scoring plays as well, as he added three more contributions in just one game against Xolos.
On the other hand, everything came tumbling down for Cruz Azul in the second half of their first tournament game against Seattle Sounders in the current edition of the Leagues Cup. They played well in the first half, but seven goals in the final 45 minutes proved to be devastating for the organization and their fans.
They have not won a game on the road this semester and their problems on defense are notorious. La Máquina had scored seven goals in their previous last two games before getting derailed (pun intended) by Sounders in that 7-0 loss and players like Ángel Sepúlveda and Juan Ignacio Rivero need to get more involved on offense for them to have a chance.
The MLS champions will have to stay disciplined and avoid overconfidence to maintain their level showed in their first tournament game, as they will face a desperate CF Cruz Azul team that needs a victory to stay alive in the Leagues Cup; the Cementeros are poised to bounce back, after all they are the current Concacaf Champions Cup champions and they have a lot of talent in their roster, they just have to show it.
