Seattle Smacks Galaxy 4-0, MLS Woes Return After Leagues Cup High

Carson, CA – August 10, 2025 — Just three days after cruising past Santos Laguna, LA Galaxy were dragged back into MLS reality by Seattle Sounders FC. Riding a 10-match unbeaten streak, Seattle dismantled the Galaxy 4-0, exposing the defensive gaps that have haunted LA’s league campaign.

The opener came in the 25th minute when Pedro de la Vega’s cross deflected off Julián Aude for an own goal. Danny Musovski doubled the lead before halftime, cleaning up a rebound from Novak Mićović’s save. Musovski struck again in the 54th minute, before 18-year-old Snyder Brunell finished off his MLS debut in the 85th with a composed strike.

LA saw plenty of the ball (52% possession) but couldn’t match Seattle’s physical edge or pressing intensity, managing just eight shots compared to the Sounders’ 24.

Head Coach Greg Vanney dismissed the idea that the loss was down to complacency after the Leagues Cup win. “I don’t think it’s subconscious,” he said. “I think the guys’ mindset going out was correct. When the game became physical early and the solutions weren’t coming as well as they should, we started to get behind the game. We struggled to find ways to settle the game into our vision and play at the speed we need. It became frustrating because collectively we weren’t finding the level to be dangerous in goal-scoring chances — not just to have possession here or there, but to really pressure them or slow down their attacks. I felt like we never got to speed. We weren’t winning enough of the physical duels, and with a busy week, fatigue set in. That’s not an excuse — it’s just the way the game played out.”

Zavaleta Minutes Watch

One notable change from the Santos match was in defense. Eriq Zavaleta, who came on late to help preserve the clean sheet in Thursday’s 4-0 win, didn’t see the field against Seattle. Vanney has been open about the challenge of keeping him in match rhythm, but also quick to praise the veteran’s influence behind the scenes. “He’s been a huge asset in the training environment… but he needs to be in a rhythm and he just hasn’t had the games,” the coach said recently.

What’s Next

The Galaxy now have six days to reset before hosting Inter Miami CF on August 16. With MLS playoff hopes slipping further out of reach, the focus turns to tightening up defensively and finding a way to channel that Leagues Cup energy back into league play.