PEC CONTINUES CCC TEAR, LA GALAXY DROP LEG ONE IN TOLUCA

TOLUCA (April 8, 2026) – The LA Galaxy fell 4–2 to Deportivo Toluca FC in the first leg of the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup Quarterfinal at Estadio Nemesio Díez in Toluca, Mexico. After Toluca led by two at the break, the second half saw goals traded between the sides, with LA and Toluca alternating strikes as the hosts ultimately secured the win. Despite the result, goals from Marco Reus and Gabriel Pec give the Galaxy two vital away goals going into the second leg.

Goalscoring Plays

TOL – Nicolás Castro (Federico Pereira), 12th minute: Pereira lofted a long ball over the Galaxy backline to Castro, who took a touch and found the back of the net to give Toluca a 1–0 lead.

TOL – Paulinho Dias (Jesús Ángulo), 43rd minute: After a chance at the other end, Toluca launched a counterattack that saw Ángulo square the ball across the box for Dias, who finished to double Toluca’s lead.

LA – Gabriel Pec (Marco Reus), 66th minute: Reus drove forward through midfield into the final third before slipping a pass in behind for Pec, whose right‑footed effort from a tight angle on the right side beat the Toluca goalkeeper to pull one back for LA.

TOL – Paulinho Dias, 73rd minute: Toluca worked the ball into the box with a series of quick passes, and although Yamane initially disrupted the play, the ball fell to Dias, who restored Toluca’s two‑goal lead.

LA – Marco Reus (Julián Aude), 77th minute: Aude forced a turnover in the Toluca box with high pressure and picked out Reus in the center, who nudged the ball into the net.

TOL – Paulinho Dias, 86th minute: After the Galaxy stopped the initial attack from Toluca, a clearance from Garcés ricocheted off Dias and into the goal to give the hosts a 4-2 lead.

Postgame Notes

Gabriel Pec scored his sixth goal in the Concacaf Champions Cup and his sixth in the past three CCC matches combined. The Brazilian forward leads all players in the competition in goals scored.
With his start against Toluca tonight, Maya Yoshida made the 700th appearance of his professional career for clubs and country across all competitions.
Marco Reus recorded a goal and an assist in the second half, giving him five goal contributions in his last five games.
The Estadio Nemesio Díez in Toluca, Mexico sits at over 8,700 feet of altitude, an added challenge for the Galaxy in tonight’s match.

Next Up

In a quick turnaround, the LA Galaxy return to league play in three short days for a battle against Austin FC at Q2 Stadium on Saturday, April 11 (11:30 a.m. PT, FOX/Apple TV). Then, the Galaxy host Deportivo Toluca FC in the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup Quarterfinal matchup on Wednesday, April 15 (6 p.m. PT, FS2/TUDN) at Dignity Health Sports Park.

Match Information

Match: LA Galaxy at Deportivo Toluca FC

Date: April 8, 2026

Venue: Estadio Nemesio Díez in Toluca, Mexico

Weather: Cloudy and 57°F

Scoring Summary	1	2	F
Toluca	2	2	4
LA Galaxy	0	2	2

TOL: Nicolás Castro (Federico Pereira), 12’

TOL: Paulinho Dias (Jesús Angulo), 43’

LA: Gabriel Pec (Marco Reus), 66’

TOL: Paulinho Dias, 73’

LA: Marco Reus (Julián Aude), 77’

TOL: Paulinho Dias, 86’

Lineups
LA Galaxy: GK JT Marcinkowski; D John Nelson (Julián Aude, 72’) D Maya Yoshida, D Emiro Garcés, D Miki Yamane (Mauricio Cuevas, 79’); M Edwin Cerrillo, M Elijah Wynder (Marco Reus, 58’), M Erik Thommy (Lucas Sanabria, 80’); F Harbor Miller (Justin Haak, 59’), F Gabriel Pec, F João Klauss

Substitutes not used: Brady Scott, Novak Mićović, Chris Rindov, Troy Elgersma, Isaiah Parente, Ruben Ramos Jr., Julian Placias

Deportivo Toluca FC: GK Luis Garcia; D Jesús Gallardo (Mauricio Isais, 84), D Federico Pereira (Luan Garcia, 45+1), D Bruno Mendez, D Simon Santiago (Diego Barbosa, 84); M Franco Romero, M Nicolas Castro, M Alexis Vega (Franco Rossi, 84), M Jesús Angulo, M Helio Nunes (Everardo Lopez, 70’); F Paulinho Dias

Substitutes not used:Hugo Gonzalez, Antonio Briseño, Sebastián Córdova, Pavel Perez, Oswaldo Virgen, Fernando Arce, Victor Arteaga