March 19 – After having their team decimated by the visa denials of US President Donald Trump’s draconian immigration policy, Jamaica’s Mt Pleasant returned to the National Stadium in Kingston, staring at a 3-0 deficit to the 2000 Concacaf Champions Cup winners, the LA Galaxy. On a soaking wet evening, it proved a step too far.
After 10 players were prevented from travelling to the 1st leg in LA, Theodore Whitmore’s starting XI was much changed as he welcomed back seven players. Galaxy’s Greg Vanney made just two changes, keeping faith with the misfiring Brazilian striker, João Klauss, who rewarded his manager with a tap-in goal after 18 minutes.
With hat-trick hero and fellow Brazilian, Gabriel Pec, also looking in the mood, the Jamaican boys were pushed on to the back foot as they faced the prospect of having to score five unanswered goals.
It wasn’t all one-way traffic, though, as Alex Marshall, Warner Brown, and Raheem Edwards all had efforts that were heading in the direction of the visitors’ goal.
For the Galaxy, Klauss reverted to type and missed two opportunities that really should’ve found the back of the net, but his fifth goal in eight games since his move from St. Louis FC was enough to send the Galaxy into the break 1-0.
Vanney kept faith with his starting eleven, but it was Whitmore’s team that came out with more intent. After some slick interchanges, Brown found Edwards, and JT Marcinkowski in Galaxy’s goal was relieved to see his left hand spin the ball behind for a corner. Just three minutes later, Anglin found a shooting opportunity, again assisted by Brown, but shot narrowly wide.
Brown, then nearly wrote his name in lights, pouncing on a misjudgement from Marcinkowski, but he could only hit the side netting with the goal gaping. This was the signal for Vanney to freshen his team up, and he brought on German maestro Marco Reus and Matheus Nascimento, replacing Elijah Wynder and Klauss, who was in danger of picking up a yellow card and missing the 1st leg of their quarter-final tie versus Toluca.
After a bright beginning in the 1st half, Pec had disappeared, but you can’t keep quality down for long, and on 61 minutes, the Brazilian finished with aplomb after being found by Lucas Sanabria to make it 2-0 on the night, and 5-0 on aggregate.
As both coaches emptied the bench, the game became disjointed, though Mt Pleasant kept trying to open their Champions Cup account. Johnson Jeudy, Demario Phillips, and Daniel Green tested Marcinkowski; however, by pushing forward, they left space, and a lightening-fast counter-attack saw Pec score his second of the game and fifth of the tie, repeating the scoreline of a week ago.
Mt Pleasant will look back on this tie as a learning experience, while the Galaxy know this was a mere tune-up for the real thing. Toluca will provide some serious opposition after the international break in the quarter finals, and Vanney will be expecting his side to show that their early-season form in the Champions Cup is no fluke, but they will need to take their goal opportunities.
Round of 16: Mt Pleasant 0 v 3 LA Galaxy (0-6 on agg)