Galaxy cruise, San Diego edge through in Concacaf last 16 | OneFootball

The American clubs LA Galaxy and San Diego FC defeated Mount Pleasant of Jamaica and Toluca of Mexico, respectively, on Wednesday, in the first leg of the round of 16 of the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup.

Playing at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, and with a squad weakened by the inability to obtain visas for at least 10 players, including seven Haitians, Mount Pleasant was thrashed 3-0 by the Galaxy.

The Brazilian Gabriel Pec was the standout for the Galaxy with a hat-trick. Pec scored the first goal at 6 minutes and the other two in the final stretch of the match, at 89 and 90+6 minutes.

“I’m very happy with the result, now we go to Jamaica; this victory gives confidence not only to me, but to the whole team,” commented Pec.

In its debut in the Concacaf Champions Cup, Mount Pleasant will host the return leg on Thursday, March 19, at the National Stadium in Kingston.

“We need to be more patient, work the ball better, and if we can close out the return leg from the start, that will be great,” concluded the Brazilian striker.

San Diego holds on to victory with 9 players

At Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego FC secured a narrow 3-2 win over Toluca, despite finishing the match with nine players.

“It’s not an excuse, but we didn’t adapt to the new ball or the pitch, and we played our worst match of the season against an opponent who played better than us. But there are still ninety minutes left at home, with the speed of our field,” said Argentine Antonio Mohamed, coach of Toluca.

The Californian team started the match with difficulties, as, at 12 minutes, the Dane Marcus Ingvartsen was sent off for kicking Marcel Ruiz, the Mexican team’s midfielder, in the face inside the box.

Jesús Gallardo converted the penalty at 16 minutes, putting Toluca’s Red Devils ahead 1-0.

But the home team turned the game around with two goals from David Vázquez (32′, 46′) and one from the Dane Anders Dreyer (53′).

At 88 minutes, Ghanaian defender Manu Duah was sent off for a handball inside the box. The penalty was converted by the Brazilian Heinho, making it 3-2.

In the return leg, Toluca will host San Diego FC on Wednesday, March 18, at the Nemesio Diez Stadium.

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Nashville frustrates Inter Miami

The 900th goal of Argentine star Lionel Messi’s career will have to wait for another occasion, as Inter Miami only managed a 0-0 draw away against Nashville SC at Geodis Park.

Messi played the full 90 minutes and the Herons had more possession, with 59.4%, compared to Nashville SC’s 40.6%.

However, Inter Miami managed only one shot on goal, compared to four from Nashville SC.

“Nashville is a very tough opponent and is in great form. We defended well because we knew that if we let Nashville play, we would suffer,” said Javier “El Jefecito” Mascherano, Argentine coach of Inter Miami.

The Florida team suffered the loss of Uruguayan defender Maximiliano Falcón, who left the field injured at 7 minutes.

“We still don’t know about Maxi’s injury, it’s very recent, he’ll have to undergo tests. He’s a strong player, and if he had to come off it’s because there’s a problem; we hope it’s something relatively minor,” noted Mascherano.

This matchup will be decided on Wednesday, March 18, at Inter Miami’s stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

“In such a balanced series, with two teams that compete like today, any small detail can make the difference; it will depend a lot on the intensity with which we play at home,” commented Mascherano.

The winner of this matchup will face Club América of Mexico, who secured a 1-0 away win against the Philadelphia Union of the United States on Tuesday.

*Content produced by AFP

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.