Fireworks were definitely in store for the Los Angeles Galaxy on Thursday night.
Playing at home for the first time in a little over a month, just in time for its annual Fourth of July match, this time against Toronto FC, the Galaxy got the in-game fireworks from a familiar source. Zlatan Ibrahimovc’s two goals were again more than enough to propel the Galaxy to the three points at Dignity Health Sports Park on Thursday night.
Good game, and two different scenarios from the first and second half,” Ibrahimovic said. “In the second half, we stepped up and pressed higher and won the ball higher, and from there, we started to play.”
It was another stellar night for Ibrahimovic, but credit also goes to the two players who set him up nicely for the goals. The assists were provided by Efrain Alvarez, who made his first career start and Emil Cuello, who came off the bench. Either way, the Galaxy’s three points earned on Thursday enabled them to keep pace with LAFC for the top spot in the Western Conference, as the Galaxy sit just six points back of its crosstown rivals.
“I think the best thing I could see about him was that he always tries to get the ball and do something with it,” Galaxy head coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto said regardind Efrain Alvarez. “Even when things are not going really good for him, he can keep the line and ask for the ball.”
After 74 scoreless minutes, the Galaxy finally got on the board. Efrain Alvarez took a ball from Joe Corona and sent a ball into the penalty area that was right on point for Ibrahimovic, who jumped and sent an off-balance header high and past Quentin Westberg to the far post.
Toronto had one great chance for an equalizer in the 79th minute. Toronto worked the ball into the Galaxy penalty area, Justin Morrow sent a cross into the six-yard box, Marco Delgado charged towards the ball, but keeper David Bingham managed to swipe the ball out of the six before Delgado could get his head on the ball. Still the ball went to Alejandro Pozuelo, who had a dangerous look at goal and took the shot, but Bingham didn’t flinch, and made the save.
The Galaxy then put the match away in the 89th minute. Emil Cuello took a pass from Corona, fired a cross inside the penalty area, Ibrahimovic timed his run just right, getting behind the Toronto defense, got a touch on the ball before sending a shot past Westberg far post to cement the three points.
“We were just trying to work out the game,” Alvarez said. “In the first half we couldn’t break the line, but the second half we came in with a different mentality. We tried breaking it more, we ran collectively, we did offense and defense collectively, and that is what we needed and we broke them down.”
Both teams had their chances in the first half, but it was the Galaxy that came the closest to finding the back net in the 22nd minute. Emmanuel Boateng dribbled past the Toronto defense and crossed into the six. Araujo charged in from the right side and sent the shot on goal, bit it hit off the near post and back into play. The ball however fell to Joe Corona, and with Westberg scrambling to reposition himself, Corona saw an open net chance and went for it, but his shot was saved at the line by Riche Laryea.
