Recap: LA Galaxy's Comeback Halted by Penalty Kick Loss to Cruz Azul | OneFootball

The first 21 minutes of Sunday night did not go in favor of the LA Galaxy. It went quite the opposite of how last Thursday went when they won 5-2 against Club Tijuana.

When Carlos Rodriguez found the back of the net for Cruz Azul, the energy and momentum shifted from the Los Angeles Galaxy to their guests. The recently recharged Galaxy offense had been stifled for the majority of the game until Gabriel Pec nixed the shutout loss.

Losing via penalties hurt the LA Galaxy. However, with a third game in Phase One set for Thursday night, the 2024 MLS Cup winners have a chance to advance to the next round of this year's Leagues Cup.

Who failed the LA Galaxy in Penalty Kicks Against Cruz Azul?

The Los Angeles Galaxy's three-time Player of the Month, Marco Reus, started things off after regulation. He converted, followed by Gabriel Pec, Matheus Nascimento, and Diego Fagundez. Érik Lira, Ignacio Rivero, and Gonzavlo Piovi all made their penalty kicks for Cruz Azul before Carlos Rodriguez tied it up 4-4.

Joseph Paintsil, Mauricio Cuevas, and John Nelson all made theirs for the LA Galaxy as did Willer Ditta, Jeremy Márquez, and Luka Romero for Azul. Once it was tied 7-7, things got interesting.

Both the LA Galaxy and Cruz Azul missed their eighth penalty kicks. Veteran midfielder Edwin Cerrillo failed to convert on his attempt. Jesús Orozco followed suit.

After Emiro Garces had his penalty kick denied, Mateo Levy won it (8-7) for Cruz Azul. This dropped the Los Angeles Galaxy to 1-1 after two games in Phase One. Their final game in the Group Stage is on Thursday night against Santos.