Mount Pleasant FA will have a mountain to climb in next week’s return round game against MLS team Los Angeles Galaxy after they were beaten 3-0 in Wednesday’s first leg Concacaf Round of 16 game played at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Brazilian Gabriel Pec scored a hat-trick, the second two goals coming after the 88th minute following a courageous display by the Jamaican Premier League outfit that travelled to California with just 18 players and started two teenagers.

Mount Pleasant were forced to leave behind as many as 10 players, who failed to get US entry visas, but had put up a gutsy display to hold the MLS giants for nearly 90 minutes.

Things looked ominous early on when Los Angeles took the lead in the sixth minute but a number of outstanding saves by goalkeeper Tafari Chambers and off target shooting, especially by Joao Klauss, almost saw the Jamaicans escape with only a slender loss.

Minutes after a goal was disallowed for a hand ball in the buildup, Pec doubled the advantage when he scored in the 89th minute and rubbed salt in the wound when he completed his hat-trick in time added.

-Paul A Reid