Martínez's brace helps LAFC storm past Cruz Azul

Looking to make a statement against their toughest opponent yet, LAFC answered the call, downing Cruz Azul 3-0 in leg one of the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday evening at BMO Stadium. The Black & Gold are now 4-0-1 in tournament play this year, remaining undefeated across all competitions.

The clean sheet was their eighth in 11 matches overall, playing to a mark of 9-0-2. Los Angeles has outscored opponents 27-3 in that span, with goalkeeper Hugo Lloris continuing to stifle opposing attacks.

"We don't think about that too much," said LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos, referring to the club's clean sheets. "We go into games thinking about what we have to do as a group, collectively."

Son Heung-min opened the scoring before David Martínez recorded a first-half brace to give Los Angeles a big cushion. It was Son's first goal since the club's opening match of the tournament on February 17.

He was perfectly set up by Mathieu Choinière, who had two assists in the match. His second came on Martínez's first goal in the 39th minute, leading him with a long pass across the pitch. 

Dos Santos gave credit to Choinière and the rest of his midfield following the victory, noting their role in helping the team escape an opening 20 minutes that had them playing on the back foot.

"I think that the three [midfielders] not only helped us get out of pressure, but also what they gave us defensively. They worked so hard, and it wasn't easy."

Martínez struck yet again in the second half, this time doing much of the work on his own. The 20-year-old dashed down the pitch from the midfield line, freeing just enough space to fire a left-footed shot that snuck past the dive of Azul goalkeeper Kevin Mier.

"There's a side of his game that reminds me of UEFA Champions League," said Dos Santos, speaking on Martínez. "I always tell him, 'Buddy, you can be a millionaire.' I'm always going to be on him, and other sides of the game that I think he needs to grow at, and I'm happy for him."

With the brace, he matched teammate Denis Bouanga in a tie for the second-most scores in the tournament thus far. The pair has accounted for eight of LAFC's 13 tournament goals.

Momentum will be on L.A.'s side as they visit Cruz Azul next Tuesday in Mexico for the second leg of the quarterfinal round. Through two matches all-time against Azul in the tournament, the Black & Gold are now 2-0-0 with a scoring differential of +4 (5-1).

If they can manage to advance, LAFC will play the winner of the matchup between Toluca and the L.A. Galaxy. The club is looking to reach the semifinal for the first time since 2023.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. PT.