By Justin Ruderman
Two of the winningest clubs in American soccer history going at it for a Concacaf Champions Cup berth and a trip to the Leagues Cup final? Count us in!
HEAD TO HEAD
- 54th meeting all-time
- Sounders lead all-time series 21-18-14
- Record at Leagues Cup: LA Galaxy (5-4), Sounders (6-4)
LAST FIVE GAMES
- LA Galaxy
- 3 Wins, 0 Draws, 2 Losses
- Defeated Pachuca in the quarterfinals and is on a two-game winning streak.
- Seattle Sounders
- 4 Wins, 0 Draws, 1 Loss
- Defeated Puebla in the quarterfinals; only have one loss in their last 13 games.
MAIN STORYLINES
- LA Galaxy made the semifinals with a seven-point Phase One and a commanding 2-1 victory over Pachuca in the quarterfinal.
- The Sounders played a perfect Phase One, earning all nine points, including a historic 7-0 battering of LIGA MX giant Cruz Azul on the opening matchday. They then snuck past Puebla on penalties in the quarterfinal to reach this point.
- Despite being the reigning MLS Cup champions, the LA Galaxy are all but eliminated from the MLS Cup Playoffs race. Leagues Cup represents their last shot at major silverware this season.
- Seattle has won the U.S. Open Cup (x4), MLS Cup (x2), Supporters’ Shield and Concacaf Champions Cup. Leagues Cup is the only major North American trophy missing from the cabinet.
- The winner of this match earns a spot in next season’s 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup and heads to the Leagues Cup final on August 31st.
KEY FACTORS
- LA Galaxy
- Designated player (DP) wingers Gabriel Pec (4g/2a in 8 games) and Joseph Paintsil (4g/2a in 7 matches) are in equally fine form heading into LA’s biggest game of the season. They’ll want to deliver when needed most.
- Playmaker Marco Reus scored the winning goal against Pachuca in the quarterfinal to earn this opportunity. The Galaxy will hope their German superstar can deliver once again.
- LA Galaxy rode home-field advantage to the MLS Cup title last season. They enjoy the same privileges in Leagues Cup as a result and must capitalize.
- Seattle Sounders
- Sounders No. 10 Pedro de la Vega already scored a brace against Cruz Azul, including a potential Puskás Award nominee. The Argentine DP has ability in bunches.
- Jesús Ferreira was acquired in a blockbuster trade with FC Dallas this offseason and has slowly found his feet in Seattle. A tournament semifinal is a perfect opportunity for the U.S. international to create his first big Sounders moment.
- The Sounders are expected to be without their all-time leading goalscorer Jordan Morris (injury), their main contributor this season Albert Rusnák (injury) and their top goalscorer this year Danny Musovski (suspension). The absences provide an opportunity for lesser-known names to fill the void, and in Seattle, they often do.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The Galaxy hold the league record with six MLS Cup titles, while the Sounders remain the only MLS team to have lifted the Concacaf Champions Cup trophy. The duo is in rarefied air, but neither has claimed Leagues Cup hardware—yet.
Both are led by legendary MLS managers—Greg Vanney (Galaxy) and Brian Schmetzer (Sounders)—and uphold a standard of excellence defined by lifting silverware. Now comes their chance.
LA may not be having the league season they envisioned, but the team has shown a completely different mentality while going unbeaten in Leagues Cup play. Meanwhile, Seattle is once again finding its inevitable late-season form, with just one loss in their last 13 matches since representing MLS at the FIFA Club World Cup.
From history to form, everything is set up perfectly for a classic tournament semifinal at Dignity Health Sports Park on Wednesday night. Time to lock in.
