LA Galaxy (2) v (4) Toluca Deportivo
The Liga MX champions come to Carson on Wednesday holding a 4-2 first-leg lead, and on paper, that looks comfortable, but two vital away goals from Gabriel Pec and Marco Reus mean this tie is very much alive heading into the second leg at Dignity Health Sports Park.
The first leg in Toluca was a tale of two halves. The Galaxy ended the first half with just 28% possession, outclassed and outpressed at altitude, with Toluca’s Nicolás Castro and Paulinho giving the hosts a 2-0 lead at the break. The Estadio Nemesio Díez sits at over 8,700 feet above sea level, and the American side looked gassed at the break.
Then, German international Marco Reus came on at half-time and changed everything. The former Dortmund star brought a calm and poise that his teammates fed off immediately, and the Galaxy suddenly looked like they belonged in the tie. Pec and Reus both scored, but Portuguese striker Paulinho completed his hat-trick late to restore the two-goal cushion.
Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney was measured but clear-eyed afterwards. “Coming here, a really difficult place to play, a very good team, picking up two goals was really important, to go home with something to build off again,” he said. “The belief is there. I fully expected to see the type of commitment and fight that they had today, and I think that will continue.”
Toluca arrive in California having gone winless in their last three CCC away trips to the United States. The Galaxy, meanwhile, are unbeaten, closing out Champions Cup ties at home, having advanced in each of the last three series they finished on home soil.