LAFC simply showed on the field why, after eleven matches (counting MLS and Concacaf), they remain undefeated with nine wins and two draws, scoring 27 goals and conceding only three. They made Cruz Azul pay dearly for their audacity in using players like Jorge Rodarte, Amaury Garcia, and Omar Chagoya in their back line instead of the Argentinians Gonzalo Piovi, Carlos Rotondi, and Omar Campos, who logically became easy prey for their opponents.

Cruz Azul: lots of possession, little finishing

Cruz Azul's higher possession percentage of 65 percent was of no use to them, as in reality, the Los Angeles side, with their vertical transitions featuring the French-Gabonese Denis Bouanga and the South Korean Son Heung-Min, the Venezuelan David Martinez, and the Canadian Mathieu Choiniere, put the Cementeros in difficult situations, as demonstrated by the 2-0 scoreline in the The first half saw goals from Son Heung-Min and David Martinez,LAFC took almost half an hour to open the scoring, and in doing so, they broke Cruz Azul's equilibrium when German Timothy Tillmann won a loose ball in midfield and launched it into space for Quebec native Mathieu Choiniere, who emerged down the right flank and delivered a cross that Son Heung-Min finished off. The 2-0 didn't take long to materialize, as in the 39th minute Choiniere sent a long ball to Venezuelan David Martinez, also on the right wing. With explosive speed, he burst into the box despite being marked by Erik Lira and slotted the ball between the legs of Colombian Kevin Mier for a truly spectacular goal, beating the Cruz Azul captain. In the second half, LAFC quickly extinguished Cruz Azul's fighting spirit. Cruz Azul never regained their composure on the pitch and appeared ineffective, allowing Martinez to score another well-crafted goal with a low, driven shot across goal, beating Colombian goalkeeper Kevin Mier and making it 3-0, a scoreline that would ultimately prove decisive. With three goals against them, Larcamon tried to mount a comeback by bringing in Omar Campos, Carlos Rotondi, Luka Romero, and Nicolas Ibanez, but the damage was done. The weight of elimination in the 2026 edition now hangs heavily over Cruz Azul, and this heavy scoreline means that next Tuesday at the Cuauhtemoc Stadium in Puebla, the Cementeros will need to pull off a miracle to avoid elimination. But the damage was done, and the weight of elimination in the 2026 edition hangs over the Sky Blues. This heavy scoreline means that next Tuesday at the Cuauhtemoc Stadium in Puebla, the Cementeros will have to perform a true miracle to avoid elimination. But the damage was done, and the weight of elimination in the 2026 edition hangs over the Sky Blues. This heavy scoreline means that next Tuesday at the Cuauhtemoc Stadium in Puebla, the Cementeros will have to perform a true miracle to avoid elimination.Larcamon tried to mount a comeback by bringing in Omar Campos, Carlos Rotondi, Luka Romero, and Nicolas Ibanez, but the damage was done. The weight of elimination in the 2026 edition now hangs heavily over Cruz Azul, and this heavy scoreline means that next Tuesday at the Cuauhtemoc Stadium in Puebla, the Cementeros will need to pull off a miracle to avoid elimination. But the damage was done, and the weight of elimination in the 2026 edition hangs over the Sky Blues. This heavy scoreline means that next Tuesday at the Cuauhtemoc Stadium in Puebla, the Cementeros will have to perform a true miracle to avoid elimination. But the damage was done, and the weight of elimination in the 2026 edition hangs over the Sky Blues. This heavy scoreline means that next Tuesday at the Cuauhtemoc Stadium in Puebla, the Cementeros will have to perform a true miracle to avoid elimination.Larcamon tried to mount a comeback by bringing in Omar Campos, Carlos Rotondi, Luka Romero, and Nicolas Ibanez, but the damage was done. The weight of elimination in the 2026 edition now hangs heavily over Cruz Azul, and this heavy scoreline means that next Tuesday at the Cuauhtemoc Stadium in Puebla, the Cementeros will need to pull off a miracle to avoid elimination. But the damage was done, and the weight of elimination in the 2026 edition hangs over the Sky Blues. This heavy scoreline means that next Tuesday at the Cuauhtemoc Stadium in Puebla, the Cementeros will have to perform a true miracle to avoid elimination. But the damage was done, and the weight of elimination in the 2026 edition hangs over the Sky Blues. This heavy scoreline means that next Tuesday at the Cuauhtemoc Stadium in Puebla, the Cementeros will have to perform a true miracle to avoid elimination.