CARSON, Calif. — One of the final chapters on the L.A. Galaxy’s 2025 season might read: finished in last place.
However, there can now be an additional chapter about that last-place team securing a spot in next year’s CONCACAF Champions Cup, the annual tournament featuring clubs from North and Central America and the Caribbean.
The Galaxy, thanks to a 67th-minute goal by Joseph Paintsil, held off Orlando City 2-1 in the third-place game of the Leagues Cup tournament Sunday at Dignity Health Sports Park in front of a sun-drenched crowd of 12,129.
The Lions finished the tournament in fourth place, marking their best-ever finish in Leagues Cup history.
“I want to first congratulate our players and their effort,” Orlando City coach Oscar Pareja said. “It has been a difficult challenge following this schedule and today, probably in the first half, we felt that low energy in the start of the game. But the boys found their way to bounce back and get that energy back and their willingness and I thought we were that team that we used to be and we tied the game and we had a couple of actions that we could have scored. But what happened is that we get wide open, as well, in transition and the Galaxy, as well, have a few chances, so the game was open for both, us tying the game or they finding the second one, that is what happened.”
The top three finishers in the tournament earned a spot in next year’s Champions Cup. The Galaxy, which also competed in this year’s edition of the CONCACAF tournament, will begin in the first round.
“I think it’s really important from a couple of aspects. Obviously, our season hasn’t gone at all to plan or how we would hope,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “But this is a challenging tournament; there’s the best teams from two leagues. Hard to get to this point and our group has been really good through the tournament. Obviously, didn’t get through the Seattle game [in the semifinals], but showed up today, tough conditions, 2 o’clock in the afternoon, really hot and both teams are fatigued, but the group grinded and got a result.
“In a season that has been really difficult, it’s good to have the opportunity today and the guys did it to take away something important, like Champions League [Cup], because it’s a big event and the L.A. Galaxy should be in Champions Leagues. That’s one of the expectations we should have for ourselves.”
By winning last year’s MLS Cup, the Galaxy earned a spot in the 2025 Champions Cup, where they beat CS Herediano in the Round of 16 before falling to Tigres in the quarterfinals.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the guys,” forward Miguel Berry said. “Very difficult day, faced some adversity early in the second half and we just kept going.”
The game was the second meeting this season between the teams. Back in March, also at Dignity Health Sports Park, Orlando City edged the Galaxy 2-1 on Luis Muriel’s 90th-minute winner.
Just like in that first game, Orlando City found a tying goal in the second half. Martin Ojeda’s volley after finding just a bit of space settled into the side netting, making it 1-1, turning the momentum in the game.
Orlando City’s Martin Ojeda celebrates after scoring against the L.A. Galaxy on Sunday at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Before Paintsil’s goal, Gabriel Pec tried to go through and around the Orlando City defense but lost the ball. The Galaxy managed to win the ball back quickly, and Paintsil did the rest, beating Orlando goalkeeper Pedro Gallese from just outside the 18, with the ball tucking inside the near corner for the 2-1 lead.
“It was just the sheer work of a handful of guys to dig that ball out and keep it in the attacking position and Joe turned it into a goal,” Vanney said.
The Galaxy nearly increased their lead moments later, but Paintsil had a shot that hit the crossbar and then the rebound, by Miki Yamane, was on goal, but Gallese, who appeared to be deep inside the goal, managed to get a hand on it and keep the ball out. With no goal-line technology, there was no replay to see if the ball had crossed the line and into the goal.
Vanney called it a “hell of a save,” also adding that he thought Gallese was behind the goal line.
The rest of the game turned into one of survival, with the Galaxy fulfilling all of their five subs, but also having to hold their breath down the stretch.
“To finish third in 30-something teams that started this, from two leagues, shows that there’s something in this group, we haven’t seen it so much in the league play, all the time and on a consistent basis,” Vanney said. “But it shows something that this group has some spirit and it has some quality enough to get through this type of event and take something away.”
The Galaxy took a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute on Marco Reus’ goal.
Orlando City lost to Inter Miami 3-1 in Wednesday’s semifinal. The Galaxy’s semifinal loss against Seattle was the lone regulation loss for the club in the tournament.
The goal was Ojeda’s fourth of the tournament and 18th across all competitions in 2025. It also marked his seventh goal contribution in Leagues Cup 2025, leading all players ahead of the Final on Sunday night.
“Proud of our players, proud of them and the job that they have done on just bringing us to these stages,” Pareja said. “Now we’re going to rest and bounce back in the league. We have a job to do and we will get back to it.”
Following the upcoming international break, Orlando City will return to MLS action as it travels to take on D.C. United at Audi Field on Sept. 13 at 7:30 p.m.
