LA Galaxy's woes persist as Tigres bring their Champions Cup campaign to a close.

 

Tigres survived a late comeback attempt by LA Galaxy, securing a 3-2 victory on Tuesday night in the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals to move on to the semifinals.

The opening leg between the two teams ended in a goalless draw in Carson, California, but Tigres wasted no time asserting themselves at home in Estadio Universitario, Monterrey, for the return leg.

In the ninth minute, Nicolás Ibañez found himself unmarked in the heart of the box and made no mistake, heading the ball past LA Galaxy’s goalkeeper for the opening goal. Just moments later, Uriel Antuna capitalized on a poor giveaway by Galaxy and swiftly completed a counter-attack, doubling Tigres' lead to 2-0.

However, LA Galaxy wasn’t done yet. In a game-changing moment before the break, Joseph Paintsil—back in action after a long injury layoff—pulled one back for Galaxy. Using his lightning-quick speed, Paintsil sprinted past Tigres’ defense, rounded the keeper, and slotted the ball into an empty net, giving Galaxy a glimmer of hope heading into halftime.

The second half began with renewed optimism for LA Galaxy, who now had the advantage of the away goals rule. But Tigres continued to dominate early in the second half, capitalizing on a chaotic opening 15 minutes. Rômulo found the back of the net with a precise header that beat Galaxy keeper John McCarthy, restoring Tigres’ two-goal advantage at 3-1.

Galaxy, however, wasn’t ready to throw in the towel. They fought back once more when Carlos Garcés took advantage of a loose ball in the box after a corner kick, finishing from close range to make it 3-2, leaving more than half an hour for them to search for an equalizer.

Despite their efforts, LA Galaxy could not find the elusive goal that would have forced extra time, leaving them to rue missed opportunities. The defending MLS Cup champions are struggling this season, sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference standings with just two points from seven games and still winless in league play.

Meanwhile, Tigres, currently in sixth place in the Liga MX Clausura and in the playoff spots, now look ahead to a potential semifinal clash against either Club América or Cruz Azul, who are facing off in the other quarterfinal.