Could the LA Galaxy salvage their 2025 season after all?
The reigning MLS Cup champions have toiled near the bottom of the league table for virtually all of this year's regular-season campaign. But with two more wins in Leagues Cup 2025, they'd improbably find themselves hoisting a trophy in front of their home fans for the second time in less than a year.
"I think it's a fair statement to say that [winning Leagues Cup] would save the season," head coach Greg Vanney said at his MD-1 press conference. "It gives something for this team to look back on as a legacy and, as I said earlier, it gives our fan base something to celebrate.
"I think it will say a lot about this group, even though we got off to a bad start," Vanney noted. "Maybe it says that we just needed to find ourselves a little bit and that we really are a good group."
Added star playmaker Marcos Reus: "Not 'could [save the season].' I would say 100 percent... Like I said, we have one more game left to go to the final, and then let's see. But until now, we are really focused just on tomorrow."
High stakes
To make that a reality, LA first need to get past Seattle Sounders FC in Wednesday's semifinal at Dignity Health Sports Park (10:45 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV+; TUDN, UniMás). Just two weeks ago, the Sounders dealt the Galaxy a 4-0 defeat in Carson.
There's also the added benefit of knowing the winner hosts Inter Miami or Orlando City in the Leagues Cup final on Aug. 31, and is guaranteed a 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup spot. Meanwhile, the loser heads to the Third-Place Match on the same day.
"The last game against them [Seattle], I don't really care," said Reus. "Honestly, because it's a different competition and [this is] a win-or-go-home game.
"There are different things in your mind when you go to these games, and I played a lot of these games. I'm really, really looking forward for tomorrow."
Mission focused
For his part, Seattle head coach Brian Schmetzer isn't anticipating a repeat of the lopsided result that his side pulled off two weekends ago, even despite the Rave Green's recent form.
Since their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup campaign this summer, Seattle are 8W-1L-4D across all competitions. They were also the only club in either MLS or LIGA MX to win all three of their Leagues Cup Phase One matches.
"They're going to be a much different team because that game they were coming off some heavy rotations, heavy games played, they had one day less rest if I remember correctly," Schmetzer said. "So that was not the Galaxy that Greg rolls out there on a normal basis. We just got on top of them early and were able to score timely goals.
"I fully expect a different look, but our objectives are still the same: We're going to try and do the things that we're good at and try and take the game to them."
MLS form
Both sides employed heavy squad rotation over the weekend in anticipation of Wednesday's clash, yet still earned resoundingly positive results.
The Galaxy crushed the Colorado Rapids, 3-0, with a youthful, reserve-heavy starting XI. Seattle, meanwhile, made eight lineup changes in their 5-2 rout of Sporting Kansas City at Lumen Field.
"This is going to be a whole different team," Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan said. "This is a [Galaxy] team that's motivated, that got a couple of good results after we beat them. And so they're ready, I think, and it really starts from the first minute.
"We have to set the tone, and I'm sure they're going to try to do so as well. But this is a team that's ready. They've won championships before, and they have a good track record. They've done it before, so they'll be ready for a game like this."
