CARTAGO, Costa Rica (Wednesday, March 5, 2025) – Beginning their 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup campaign, the LA Galaxy fell 1-0 on the road to C.S. Herediano in the first leg of the Round of 16 at Estadio Jose Rafael "Fello" Meza Ivankovich on Wednesday night.
LA Galaxy Against C.S. Herediano
Wednesday's first leg Round of 16 match against C.S. Herediano marks the third all-time meeting across all competitions between the Galaxy and C.S. Herediano, with the series tied 1-1-1 (4 GF, 1 GA). In the last meeting between LA and Herediano at Dignity Health Sports Park, the Galaxy earned a 4-1 win in their second leg Quarterfinal round match of the 2012-13 Concacaf Champions League on March 13, 2013. The Galaxy will host C.S. Herediano in the second leg of the Round of 16 at Dignity Health Sports Park on Wednesday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m. PT.
Galaxy Firsts
LA Galaxy Academy products Harbor Miller and Ruben Ramos Jr. both made their first career starts for the LA Galaxy in the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 match. Miller started and played 90 minutes, while Ramos Jr. logged 61 minutes of action. Notably, Miller is the youngest player (17 years, 8 months, 14 days) in LA Galaxy history to start a Concacaf Champions Cup match, surpassing Jack McBean's record (17 years, 8 months, 15 days). Additionally, Sean Karani, who was signed to a Short-Term Agreement, made his LA Galaxy and Concacaf Champions Cup debut with 12 minutes of action as a second-half substitute.
Goal-Scoring Plays
HER – Elias Aguilar (Haxzel Quiros), 65th minute: Following a turnover outside the 18-yard box, Elias Aguilar received the ball and fired his shot from distance into the bottom far corner of the goal.
Postgame Notes
- In three matches played across all competitions (MLS Regular Season, Concacaf Champions Cup) to begin the 2025 campaign, the LA Galaxy hold a record of 0-3-0 (1 GF, 5 GA).
- The LA Galaxy play seven matches across all competitions (MLS Regular Season, Concacaf Champions Cup) during the month of March. The Galaxy host three home matches and will square off in four road matches this month.
- In 45 all-time Concacaf Champions Cup matches played, the LA Galaxy hold a record of 21-13-11.
- Wednesday's first leg Round of 16 match against C.S. Herediano marked the third all-time meeting across all competitions between the Galaxy and C.S. Herediano, with the series tied 1-1-1 (4 GF, 1 GA).
- LA Galaxy Academy products Harbor Miller and Ruben Ramos Jr. both made their first career starts for the LA Galaxy in the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 match.
- Miller is the youngest player (17 years, 8 months, 14 days) in LA Galaxy history to start a Concacaf Champions Cup match, surpassing Jack McBean's record (17 years, 8 months, 15 days).
- Ramos Jr. is the third-youngest player (18 years, 1 month, 14 days) in club history to start a Concacaf Champions Cup match.
- Sean Karani, who was signed to a Short-Term Agreement, made his LA Galaxy and Concacaf Champions Cup debut with 12 minutes of action as a second-half substitute.
- In nine all-time matches managed in Concacaf Champions Cup action between the LA Galaxy and Toronto FC, LA Galaxy Head Coach Greg Vanney holds a record of 3-3-3.
- Emiro Garcés won six tackles in the match against C.S. Herediano, the most by a player for an MLS team in Concacaf Champions Cup action since Kyle Duncan won six tackles for the New York Red Bulls against Santos Laguna in 2019.
- John McCarthy made four saves in his first start for the LA Galaxy during the 2025 campaign.
Next Game
Next up, the LA Galaxy return to league play when the club hosts St. Louis CITY SC in 2025 MLS Regular Season action at Dignity Health Sports Park on Sunday, March 9 (4:00 p.m. PT; MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
2025 Concacaf Champions Cup - Round of 16 (Leg 1)
LA Galaxy at C.S. Herediano
Wednesday, March 5, 2025 – Estadio Jose Rafael "Fello" Meza Ivankovich (Cartago, Costa Rica)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
LA Galaxy 0 0 0
C.S. Herediano 0 1 1
Scoring Summary:
HER: Aguilar (Quiros), 65
Misconduct Summary:
LA: Ramos Jr. (caution), 30
LA: Yoshida (caution), 49
LA: Cerrillo (caution), 75
LA: Aude (caution), 84
HER: Amador (caution), 84
HER: Quiros (caution), 90
Lineups:
LA: GK John McCarthy; D Harbor Miller, D Emiro Garcés, D Maya Yoshida ©, D John Nelson (Diego Fagundez, 61); M Edwin Cerrillo (Isaiah Parente, 78), M Marco Reus (Sean Karani, 78), M Ruben Ramos Jr. (Elijah Wynder, 61), M Julián Aude, M Gabriel Pec, F Christian Ramirez (Miguel Berry, 72)
Substitutes Not Used: GK JT Marcinkowski, GK Novak Mićović; D Ascel Essengue, D Zanka, D Eriq Zavaleta, M Tucker Lepley
TOTAL SHOTS: 8; SHOTS ON GOAL: 4; FOULS: 10; OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 4
HER: GK Dany Carvajal; D Haxzel Quiros, D Juan Luis Perez, D Emerson Bravo, D Yurguin Roman, D Keyner Brown; M Darril Araya (Aaron Murillo, 90+4), M Sergio Rodriguez, M Allan Cruz, M Elias Aguilar (C) (Getsel Montes, 90+3), F Marcel Hernandez (Jose Rodriguez, 65)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Emmanuel Garita, GK Anthony Walker, M Axel Amador, M Eduardo Juarez, M Ronald Araya, M Yeltsin Tejeda, F Joaquin Hernandez, F Steven Williams
TOTAL SHOTS: 10; SHOTS ON GOAL: 5; FOULS: 11; OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 4
Referee: Odonai Escobedo
Assistant Referees: Enrique Bustos, Leonardo Castillo
Fourth Official: Amairany Garcia
VAR: Guillermo Pacheco
Weather: Cloudy, 64 degrees
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
LA GALAXY POSTGAME QUOTES
LA GALAXY HEAD COACH GREG VANNEY
On not scoring in the first leg against Herediano:
“One of our objectives here was to get an away goal. We had some chances, we didn't finish them and now we're at home and we've got to make sure that we manage our goal and get someone on the attacking end. I mean, it was certainly something we wanted to achieve, and we didn't achieve it tonight. So credit to them. But now, we've got to take care of business at our place.”
On the difference between MLS and Costa Rican teams:
“I think tonight, to be fair on a lot of duels and ariel balls, moments like the second balls… I thought they were a lot faster and a lot stronger in the duels and picking up second balls and making attacks out of those types of moments. I think that becomes a big chunk of the game for us because the game becomes very vertical when we don't win enough of the first balls and pick up second balls. Then we're defending and going deep. Their whole team worked really hard to protect their goal. They were disciplined. Obviously, very effective in the way they play and tonight, like I said, I think they won a lot of the duels and the competitive battles throughout the course of the match that I think that turns the edge and they finished the chance that we weren't able to do through the course of the night.”
On being better on the offensive side compared to the two previous league matches:
“I did. I thought some of our coordinated attacks, I would say, were much more in sync. We got to better areas. We got some looks from good distances. I think we need to finish better. But yeah, I thought some of our coordinated actions were much better tonight, much more in sync, even though in the grand scheme of things it's not the easiest of places to play, and there they were obviously highly competitive and combative, but at the same time, I thought we put together the chances that we needed, but we've got to bury them. We've got to be more clinical in the final action, but to your point. Yes, we saw we had more looks tonight than we've had in the previous couple of games.”
- On the performances of John McCarthy and Harbor Miller:*
“I thought I thought John had an excellent game again. I think he made very mature decisions in moments throughout the game. The areas around the goals were bouncy, and I think in terms of risk taking and not, he was very calculated in a lot of those moments, and I thought he made some big saves in a couple of situations that he needed to come up big. I thought he showed good presence in the back, like he always has. I thought Harbor was excellent. I thought of all the players throughout the day, I felt like Harbor found the speed and the physicality of the game right from the start and was able to match it through the course of 90 minutes. I thought that was impressive for a young man in his first start with the Galaxy. I thought he had an excellent game, both defensively and offensively, I couldn’t be more proud of him and the effort and the quality of game he put together.”
