La Galaxy Head to Panama for CONCACAF Cup Opener Against Sporting San Miguelito
La Galaxy are in Panama for their first competitive match of 2026, where they will face Sporting San Miguelito in the opening round of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The trip doubles as an early-season proving ground: Joseph Paintsil is eyeing a Panama test while the squad's post-overhaul pieces aim to show progress, and a free live stream will make the match accessible to fans.
La Galaxy in Panama: lineup evolution and preseason form
The match in Panama arrives as a tangible marker of how La Galaxy's roster and context have shifted since the downturn late last year. At the end of 2024 the team lost Riqui Puig to injury and saw Dejan Joveljic, Mark Delgado, Gaston Brugman, Martin Caceres, and Jalen Neal leave transfer. Those departures were offset by arrivals including Christian Ramirez, Elijah Wynder, Lucas Sanabria, and Zanka, and the club has leaned on those new additions as the squad resets.
Early indicators from preseason suggest meaningful development. Lucas Sanabria impressed by scoring two preseason goals and appears to be finding the right positions more consistently. Elijah Wynder and Sanabria have both spent recent months focused on meeting Greg Vanney's expectations, benefiting from their first full preseason together. That continuity is presented as a driver of faster growth compared with last year, when late arrivals split focus between settling in and on-field duties.
On the defensive and midfield side, the arrivals of Jakob Glesnes and Justin Haak are presented as lifts to the team's ceiling. Glesnes is described as a defensive leader who captained an impressive Philadelphia Union, while Haak — a versatile defensive and midfield option developed in New York — has been used by Vanney primarily as a midfielder. Haak’s appearance at the Coachella Valley Invitational had him sitting just in front of the backline; although not yet fully in tune with the system, he demonstrated composure and technical ability under pressure that could prove valuable if deployed as a double pivot alongside Edwin Cerillo with Reus ahead of them.
Attack, Paintsil’s test, and viewing access
Offensively, Joseph Paintsil and Gabriel Pec stood out in preseason, both described as looking sharp and hungry. Paintsil, notably a regular in the Ghana national team and the first name called off the bench in place of Antoine Semenyo at left wing, is singled out as a player who will be watched closely as La Galaxy face Sporting San Miguelito. The Panama trip presents a specific international-style challenge that Paintsil appears ready to embrace as he seeks to translate preseason form into competitive output.
For supporters who want to follow the action, the match will be available a free live stream, giving fans the chance to monitor how the squad's offseason shifts and preseason promise translate into competitive performance. Between the defensive reinforcements, the youth stepping up, and attacking pieces like Paintsil and Pec looking sharp, the Panama opener is shaping up as an early barometer for where La Galaxy stand as they begin 2026 competition.
What to watch
Key developments to track in Panama include whether Sanabria can carry his preseason scoring into a competitive setting, how Wynder's adaptation to Vanney’s demands affects midfield balance, and whether Haak’s deployment as a midfielder accelerates the cohesion of the backline-to-midfield connection. Equally important will be Paintsil’s involvement and effectiveness in an international-tinged clash, and whether the new and returning pieces can deliver the improved context the club is banking on after last year’s upheaval.
