Last Thurday, the LA Galaxy managed a 2-1 upset over Pachuca, completing an MLS sweep over their Liga MX counterparts in the quarterfinals of the revamped Leagues Cup. Only one Mexican team has made a semifinal in the last three seasons.
The Galaxy will hope to advance to their first-ever Leagues Cup final tonight at 10:45 p.m. ET, when they face 2021 finalists Seattle Sounders at home.
The Sounders are +130 favorites to win in regular time and -130 to advance at DraftKings Sportsbook. LA is +175 to win in regular time and +100 to advance, with +250 odds of a penalty shootout.
LA Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders prediction, pick
Entering the tournament, there was little reason for the Galaxy to believe that they could win any silverware. Despite picking up a win in its most recent game, LA sits dead last in the MLS’ Western Conference, with just 19 points after 27 matches. It has only had one player — 36-year-old German legend Marco Reus — reach double-digit goal contributions, and both of the team’s primary goalkeepers have saved fewer than 60% of the shots on target that they’ve faced. Still, the 2024 league champions are rounding into form, with a 3-0 win over the Colorado Rapids in their most recent game. J.T. Marcinkowski made one save in his team debut. The attack has at least been passable, scoring more than three other Western Conference teams.
Seattle will be tough competition. The Club World Cup participants have been one of the most decorated teams in American soccer in recent years and have a pretty lethal attacking duo in Albert Rusnák and Daniel Musovski, in addition to former USMNT wunderkind Jesús Ferreira and Cameroon left-back Nouhou Tolo. The last time the two teams faced off, on August 10, the Sounders earned a 4-0 victory behind a Musovski brace, and it could’ve been even more lopsided: they managed to get just eight of their 23 shots on target. Both of Seattle’s goalkeepers, Swiss veteran Stefan Frei and Russian youngster Andrew Thomas, have a 71.8% save percentage.
It should be a fairly high-scoring battle, given that the Sounders’ defense ranks near the middle of the pack in goals conceded and the Galaxy ranks dead last. With Seattle right center-back Yeimar Gómez Andrade still ranking in the top decile in tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, it’ll be up to LA to force the issue on the right side of the attack, given that Tolo is more dangerous as a wingback. Thankfully for the Galaxy, that’s where they have 24-year-old Brazilian Gabriel Chaves, who netted in the win over the Rapids for his sixth of the season. Matheus Nascimento, who’s also featured infrequently in the squad during domestic competition, has a trio of goals in the Leagues Cup. LA, too, is most exploitable on the left, which could spell good news for Ferreira.
This is a tough one to pick because the Galaxy’s run through the competition has been so surprising, but at some point, talent has to win out, and Sounders’ win earlier this month has to be disheartening for the home side. Seattle has picked up more points on the road than LA has at home. The Galaxy’s Cinderella run will end here.
