Lafc – Cruz Azul: LAFC Hosts First-Leg Quarterfinal in BMO Stadium Clash
lafc – cruz azul lands in Los Angeles on Tuesday night as LAFC opens the first leg of its Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal against Cruz Azul at BMO Stadium. The match brings together the unbeaten MLS side and the reigning CCC champion in a two-game series that will decide who moves on to the semifinals. The second leg is set for next Tuesday, April 14, at Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla, Mexico.
LAFC – Cruz Azul begins with momentum on both sides
LAFC enters the night unbeaten through ten matches for the first time in club history and carries an 8W-0L-2D record in all competitions. At home, the club is 5W-0L-1D across all competitions and has kept clean sheets in five of those six matches. In Concacaf Champions Cup play, LAFC is 3W-0L-1D this year after advancing past Real España of Honduras and Alajuelense of Costa Rica.
The club’s recent attacking form has been sharp. Goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris delivered six saves in a 6-0 win over Orlando City on Saturday night, a result that also marked his 30th career shutout in MLS play in just over two seasons. Son Heung-Min had four assists in that match and leads Major League Soccer with seven assists. Denis Bouanga added a hat trick and now leads LAFC with eight goals in 2026 across all competitions.
How the first leg fits into the bigger picture
The winner on aggregate goals will move on to the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals and face the winner of the quarterfinal between Toluca and Galaxy. Concacaf Champions Cup is a 27-team continental tournament held from February through May, and the winner of the final on May 30 earns a berth in the FIFA Club World Cup in 2029.
LAFC has reached the quarterfinal round in all four of its Concacaf Champions Cup appearances. The club also reached the final in 2020 and 2023, falling short against Liga MX opposition in both years. This year’s meeting with Cruz Azul adds another chapter to that run, with lafc – cruz azul now carrying direct stakes for a place in the semifinals.
Cruz Azul arrives with title status
Cruz Azul advanced past Vancouver FC of the Canadian Premier League and CF Monterrey to reach this stage. Founded in 1927 and nicknamed La Máquina, Cruz Azul is the reigning CCC champion after defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup Final. The club has won seven CCC/CCL trophies, tied for the most in competition history, and is one of only seven Mexican clubs never to have been relegated from the country’s top division.
For LAFC, the matchup is a test of a strong start and a chance to protect home field before the trip to Mexico. For Cruz Azul, it is an early step in defending a crown earned last year and a path that still requires handling a difficult first leg in Los Angeles.
Immediate stakes for Tuesday night
Broadcast and radio coverage is set across multiple outlets, including FS2, TUDN, ConcacafGO, Coupang Play, and several radio partners. The spotlight stays on the same simple question as kickoff nears: can LAFC turn its form into a lead, or can Cruz Azul leave BMO Stadium with the upper hand before the return leg? Either way, lafc – cruz azul now stands as one of the sharpest quarterfinal tests in this year’s Concacaf Champions Cup.
