LA Galaxy secured a spot in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup by defeating Orlando City 2-1 in the Leagues Cup third-place match. This win comes during a challenging season for the club, providing a valuable boost as Marco Reus and Joseph Paintsil scored crucial goals at Dignity Health Sports Park.
Reus opened the scoring in the 9th minute after capitalizing on a counterattack from Gabriel Pec. Orlando equalized in the 60th minute when MartÃn Ojeda scored from a Luis Muriel pass, but Galaxy quickly regained the lead. Paintsil struck from long range in the 67th minute, finding the net and sealing the victory.
Orlando threatened to score again with chances from Adrián MarÃn and Eduard Atuesta, but both hit the woodwork. Now, Orlando must explore other options to reach the continental competition.
Inter Miami and Seattle Sounders had already qualified through their Leagues Cup performances, and Galaxy’s win adds them to the list of MLS teams confirmed for 2026. There are more spots to be decided through ongoing league play, but this victory ensures that Los Angeles will participate in international competition next year.
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