LA Galaxy eliminate Tijuana on penalties to advance to Leagues Cup Semifinals

The LA Galaxy advanced to the Semifinals of the Leagues Cup on Tuesday after beating Xolos de Tijuana 3-1 on penalties following a 2-2 draw through 90 minutes.

Giancarlo Gonzalez got the winning penalty after Xolos de Tijuana missed there of the four spot kicks they took.

Emmanuel Boateng had given the Galaxy the lead after 27 minutes when he deflected a Kai Koreniuk cross into the back of the net.

But Xolos de Tijuana fought back almost immediately after a nice play in and outside the box ended with Ariel Nahuelpan leveling the score.

Xolos were then unlucky not to take the lead on several occasions but would eventually capitalize at the stroke of halftime, as Washington Camacho would rifle in the go-ahead goal for the Fronterizos.

In the second period, Dave Romney would pounce on an Efrain Alvarez corner, and all of a sudden the score was once again leveled, this time at two goals apiece.

As the game progressed, there was no lack of quality on show, with both sides creating their respective chances. Eventually, tempers flared, and Julian Araujo had to be sent off for the Galaxy, leaving LA down to ten men ahead of a game-defining penalty shootout.

In the shootout, the Galaxy would score three times, while Xolos would only score once, leaving the MLS side with their ticket to the Semifinals of the Leagues Cup.

The Galaxy will now face Cruz Azul in the next round after La Máquina beat the Chicago Fire 2-0 in one of the other Quarterfinals.