LAFC Must Seal Victory Against Pachuca to Stay Alive in Leagues Cup 2025 Showdown

After a letdown in penalties against Mazatlán, LAFC faces a must-win situation this Friday as they clash with Pachuca at the BMO Stadium (7:30 p.m., Apple TV) to keep their Leagues Cup 2025 hopes alive. With only four MLS teams and four Liga MX squads moving on to the quarterfinals, each game is crucial.

The Leagues Cup is a summer competition pitting 18 MLS teams against 18 from Liga MX. In their opening appearance for this edition, LAFC left fans questioning after a regulation-time 1-1 draw and a subsequent narrow loss in an extended penalty shootout to Mazatlán. LAFC’s star forward Denis Bouanga missed the critical penalty kick that sealed the game’s fate.

“He’s understandably upset about missing that shot, but hopefully, it motivates us to take on Pachuca tomorrow,” remarked LAFC midfielder Timothy Tillman about Bouanga’s missed penalty.

For Friday’s match-up, head coach Steve Cherundolo plans to deploy a full-strength lineup, following his strategy of resting key players during the opening half against Mazatlán.

“We’ll have fresh-legged players ready to secure a win for LAFC this time,” said Cherundolo, emphasizing that the team wasn’t outperformed against Mazatlán.

Tillman agreed: “We are a very offensive team, but we need to start converting our chances.”

Pachuca arrives brimming with confidence after a 3-2 victory over San Diego, where a triumph would edge them closer to the next round. Forward Alexei Domínguez shone brightly with two goals in that match.

With such a narrow margin for error, each point is vital, as only four teams per league will advance.

“We are in great form and intend to capitalize on it,” stated Pachuca’s head coach Jimmy Lozano. “LAFC has individual stars and plays with high intensity. They pose a very different challenge than what we faced in San Diego.”

Both teams previously competed in the Club World Cup: LAFC concluded their stint with two losses and a draw, while Pachuca dropped all three of their matches.