Photo courtesy of the LA Galaxy.
Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez became the latest star player to put his stamp on the El Trafico Rivalry.
One thing that the El Trafico rivalry has never been short on–drama.
Once again, drama unfolded in the first match of the season between the two Los Angeles based clubs at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday. The Galaxy jumped out to a two-goal lead, but then had to hold off a late charge by LAFC and also were the beneficiaries of several key decisions by referee Chris Penso, including a VAR decision that took away a potential tying goal from LAFC, and the Galaxy remain undefeated at home in the rivalry following the 2-1 win.
“We know we cannot take out how the game ended, but we deserved the win,” said Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez who opened the scoring in the match. “We get the three points. I want that to be the narrative. I don’t want to take out the credit of this win because it was a VAR decision, and that kind of stuff.”
The win is the first loss of the season for LAFC (6-1-4, 13 points). Moreso, the result puts the Galaxy (6-2-4, 12 points) in a tie with Real Salt Lake for second place in the Western Conference.
“We’re dissapointed for our fans, we really wanted to give them a victory here,” said LAFC head coach Steve Chreundolo.
The Galaxy seized the advantage in the 13th minute, as Samuel Grandsir crossed into the penalty area for the far post, where Chicharito Hernandez was waiting and unmarked. LAFC keeper Maxime Crepeau came off his line and Chicharito headed a ball on the ground that bounced past Crepeau and into goal to put the Galaxy ahead. The Galaxy doubled its advantage in the 31st minute, as Raheem Edwards sent a ball into the penalty area to Grandsir, who again crossed into the six-yard box to the far post, and this time, it was Sega Coulibaly who was the beneficiary, as he swooped in and buried the shot far post to double the advantage. LAFC’s goal came in the 79th minute, as Diego Palacios led Vela with a thrown-in into the penalty area, Vela took a shot on goal, keeper Jonathan Bond made the save, but the ball stayed inside the six-yard box, and Cristian Arango came in and buried the rebound shot into the back net to get LAFC back in the game.
“They’re derby matches and both teams want to impose themselves on the other, and I thought we did so early in the game,” said LA Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney. “The second half, I thought we were a little passive, and we were inviting them on top of us. We were rushing the final pass. We weren’t keeping possession. We weren’t putting anything that looked like what we do on the field, and force them to have to defend us.”
That was not the only time LAFC found the back net in the match. Carlos Vela found the back net twice in the match, the first in the 29th minute when he headed in a Kellyn Acosta free kick, and the second time coming a minute into the second half, when Kwado Opoku sprung him into the penalty area and he slotted the shot past Bond. Both goals were called back however, as Vela was judged to be offside both times.
Photo courtesy of LAFC.
However, it was the decision that occurred in stoppage time that LAFC is going to rue, at least until the two teams meet again at Banc of California Stadium on July 8. It started when Acosta passed to Vela inside the penalty area, Vela then played a cross towards the six-yard box, the cross deflected off Latiff Blessing, bounced around the six-yard box, Mamadou Fall got to the ball, took a shot on goal that deflected off Galaxy defender Nick DePuy, but stayed inside the six-yard box and Blessing buried the sitter for what looked like a late equalizer that was going to enable LAFC to sneak out of DHSP with a point. Penso however got the call from VAR official Edward Jurisevic to go to Video Review, and what the Video Review saw was that before Vela got the cross off, Fall had barely jumped ahead of Edwards, who was marking him, before Vela touched the ball, and that was what Penso concluded when he saw the replay, the goal was waived off, and the Galaxy got first bragging rights in this season’s edition of the rivalry.
“We were very unlucky not to get a point tonight,” Cherundolo said. “I think if two calls go our way, we definitely get a point and maybe you get three. Those calls were very close. From what I understand, the refs could have called them either way.”
Of course it wasn’t just those decisions that haunted LAFC on Saturday. Vela had a shot attempt in the 23rd minute go off the crossbar, and Bond came up huge with some key saves in the second half.
