There won’t be Leagues Cup knockout games for the Los Angeles Football Club in 2026.
Finishing fifth in the tournament’s MLS standings based on tiebreakers, LAFC, like No. 4 seed Real Salt Lake, cobbled together seven points while hosting a trio of Phase One matches.
Poised to qualify for the quarterfinals with a regulation victory, the opportunity slipped through LAFC’s grasp when a winless, goalless Querétaro squad found its only goal of the competition and cost the Black & Gold a crucial point on Wednesday night.
The next evening, seeking more help from Mexican clubs than it initially needed, results did not break LAFC’s way.
For LAFC supporters who watched their team squander chances against Querétaro, Chicago’s late regulation victory over Cruz Azul and Austin’s comeback draw against Club America on Thursday were torturous.
Among the annoyed observers, LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos regretted not turning on a movie with his family instead.
Pushed to the brink over three games in eight days against the likes of Chivas de Guadalajara and top-ranked Toluca FC, Dos Santos relied on his regulars more than he might have wanted, chalking that up to a thin roster – depleted by outbound transfers and lingering injuries – along with what he thinks it means to lead LAFC.
“My responsibility is to push our club and our team to put us in the best conditions to get positive results,” he said on Friday. “We’re not in a market to give up on games. LAFC is a different beast.
“I’m not going to be a coach that chooses a competition to rotate and rest. I’m not that guy. I don’t think any LAFC coach should be like that, but that’s my opinion.”
Dos Santos’ decision to pile minutes on top of minutes will be put to the test with the resumption of league play on Saturday night, when San Diego FC visits BMO Stadium and LAFC seeks its first win in four games against SDFC.
Mentally ready but physically taxed, Dos Santos said “hopefully we’ll just get a second wind and answer well against San Diego.”
Situated 13th in the Western Conference, SDFC (5-7-6, 21 points) has struggled in its second season, winning just twice over the past 15 league matches.
LAFC (10-5-4, 34 points) is tied with Vancouver atop the Western Conference, though the Whitecaps (10-3-4) own the goal differential advantage and have two games in hand.
In need of new blood for the stretch run, LAFC on Thursday announced its first inbound move since the secondary transfer window opened last month.
German Armindo Sieb was acquired on a permanent transfer from FC Bayern Munich through the 2028-2029 season. The 23-year-old forward needs time to get up to speed, Dos Santos said, and should operate in the attack like Nathan Ordaz did before his departure.
The midfield is short-handed while Igor Jesus, 23, continues to recover from a torn ACL in his left knee. Dos Santos hoped the Brazilian would be able to play in time for the Leagues Cup, but the defensive-minded stopper suffered a setback. The timetable for his return is unclear.
That absence is why Eddie Segura got a chance to be the hero last weekend against reigning CONCACAF champion Toluca. LAFC ultimately earned more points than Toluca, but the Mexicans had the last laugh by advancing to the knockout phase with home matches through the semifinals.
For all the effort LAFC put into the competition, Leagues Cup had players feeling “a little sad” when they showed up to the performance center on Friday, Segura said.
As it stands now, the on-field focus for the remainder of the season is fully tuned to MLS.
Off the field, well, there’s everything else.
Segura confirmed that his loved ones are safe and out of harm’s way following a 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck Monday morning near his hometown of Pereira in western Colombia, where hundreds of people have perished or remain missing.
SAN DIEGO FC AT LAFC
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: BMO Stadium
TV/Radio: Apple TV/710 AM, 980 AM, 1230 AM, SiriusXM FC 157