The LA Galaxy hosted Liga MX's Santos Laguna and were held 0-0 at home in Wednesday's CONCACAF Champions League action.
While the Galaxy will be glad not to have conceded an away goal despite having to defend four shots on target, they will be equally frustrated they will not head to Mexico for the second leg of the quarterfinal with an advantage.
The match did give the home fans the chance to see star signing Ashley Cole in competitive action for the first time, and the former England international played his part in ensuring the Galaxy kept a clean sheet. Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard also was involved, playing alongside former Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong.
The match was the Galaxy's first competitive game in 2016, with their MLS season kicking off with a home match against DC United on March 6.
Elsewhere, Mexico's Tigres take a strong lead into the second leg of their tie against Real Salt Lake.
The American visitors were second best against their Mexican hosts, who enjoyed the lion's share of possession during their 2-0 win over the MLS outfit.
But it took until the second half for the home side to convert their dominance into scoreboard pressure. Rafael Sobis provided the opportunity that Jose Rivas needed to score the game's opening goal after 67 minutes, before Mexican striker Jurgen Damm doubled his team's advantage with four minutes to play to put Tigres in a commanding position.
Without an away goal to show for their efforts, Real Salt Lake will need a big push at home to seal progression to the semifinals.
