LA Galaxy face total collapse as Tigres eye massive Concacaf upset | OneFootball

Not everyone who lifts the trophy at the end of the campaign is capable of retaining their shine the following year. And LA Galaxy, current MLS Cup winners, know that more than anyone else. The Californian club enters the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals going through a period of lost identity. On the one hand, they're relinquishing their hold on the domestic league; on the other, they show sharp teeth when the time comes for international action. And this Tuesday, the challenge is the kind that separates dreamers and doers: Tigres UANL, a Liga MX giant with an appetite for titles.

Galaxy have seasons that tell different stories

The form is paradoxical. On the home front, Galaxy have not won in six games: four losses and two draws, with performances swinging from frustrating to horrific. The team, which has been decimated by injuries and line-up tinkering, is finding it hard to get back into rhythm. The return of players like Joseph Paintsil and Miki Yamane is a breath of relief, but far from a total antidote to the championship hangover.

In the Concacaf Champions Cup, the mood is otherwise. The team showed character in overturning the tables against Herediano in the Round of 16. After losing 1–0 in the first leg, Galaxy lined up four goals in the return leg and made it clear they still have competitive fire when it comes to knockout games. Julián Aude, Miguel Berry, Gabriel Pec, and Christian Ramírez all found the back of the net in one of the more dominating efforts by Galaxy in 2025. A timely reminder that a heavy jersey and a battle-tested roster mean something when the heat is on.

Tigres come strong and wounded

The opposition is anything but simple. Tigres is not only one of the most structured clubs in North America but also possesses the mettle of a team that has been through it all. With Nahuel Guzmán in goal, Guido Pizarro directing affairs in the middle of the park, and Nicolás Ibañez up front, the Mexican outfit blends talent and experience in an almost clinical fashion. Throw in names such as Diego Lainez, Uriel Antuna, and Sebastián Córdova — each with caps for the Mexican national team — and the mix is a squad that can erupt at any time with intensity. And if all of that wasn't enough, Tigres arrive wounded.

Their final Clausura fixture saw them lose 3–0 against Club América, a cold shower that revealed offensive vulnerabilities and refueled an air of urgency within the squad. The bad news for Galaxy is that no one bounces back from a tumble more gracefully than a proud side starving for vindication. The good news? They, too, suffered from barren possession, that old malady of passing, passing, passing… and not scoring. A weakness that can be targeted.

The finer detail game: first leg at home, second in hell

Playing the home game first may be a blessing in disguise, but it comes with a pitfall of its own. Galaxy know that any error at Dignity Health Sports Park will be punished with interest and penalties in the return leg, in front of Tigres' frenzied fans. It makes the first leg almost like a premature judgment: either the Californian outfit takes a comfortable lead, or they'll need a miracle in Mexico.

The away goal rule is still in effect in the tournament, so that places even more importance on every ball that ends up in the visitors' goal. Galaxy needs to attack smart, but without leaving the back line vulnerable.

This series is a kind of maturity exam for LA Galaxy. The team may have stuttered at the beginning of the MLS season, but if they can beat Tigres, they'll prove that their season can still be written in letters of gold. Time to look their adversary in the eye and answer the question that haunts every champion, are you hungry yet?