LAFC outlasts Galaxy

The fourth round of the 2020 edition of El Trafico featured the two teams in different scenarios as far as the playoff picture was concerned.

Despite having an up and down restart, LAFC came into Sunday’s massive crosstown matchup well in playoff position and another three points at the expense of the Galaxy would move them further up in the Western Conference standings. The Galaxy meanwhile need all the points it can get in its last few matches to have a chance at a playoff berth.

After Sunday afternoon’s match, it was LAFC that got the boost it needed. LAFC welcomed back its reigning league MVP Carlos Vela, he along with Danny Musovski found the back net and LAFC overcame the agony of several shots hitting the framework, a goal waived off by VAR and also benefited from a Galaxy red card and got a 2-0 win at Banc of California Stadium.

“Good team win and when I say team it’s not just the guys that played today,” LAfC head coach Bob Bradley said. “It’s everybody,because in this last stretch, everybody’s been called on, different guys have stepped up. We kept training at a good level and it was nice to get some different guys back today.”

The result puts LAFC (28 points) in the fourth spot in the standings, which would put them in position to host a first round playoff match should then hold onto the spot. LAFC is also within striking distance of Portland and Seattle (four points back) and first place Sporting Kansas City (five points back) with three matches to play, perhaps four depending on whether or not MLS decides to reschedule a match with the Colorado Rapids. The Galaxy meanwhile are six points back out of the final playoff spot in the West with four games left, though they too could benefit by having a postponed match with the Rapids rescheduled.

“For us, in our minds, we still have a chance,” Galaxy midfielder Sebastian Lletget said. “That’s how we have to think. That’s how I’m thinking. I’m not giving up. I’m not writing us off. We definitely have a chance. That’s what we’re talking about, that’s our mindset and that’s how we’re maintaining focus on that.”

The Galaxy found themselves in a hole in the 25th minute. Diego Rossi took a touch towards the penalty area, Galaxy Center Back Giancarlo Gonzalez tried to stop Rossi, but ended up grabbing Rossi and took him down from behind. The late challenge ended Gonzalez’s afternoon early, as referee Kevin Stott immediately pulled out the red card. Video Review was used to determine whether the foul occurred inside or outside the penalty area. The replays confirmed the foul occurred just outside the box, meaning LAFC had to settle for a free kick. Nevertheless, LAFC got the man advantage for the rest of the afternoon.

Still, it didn’t come easy for LAFC. A shot by Rossi in the 11th minute went off the crossbar, Galaxy keeper Jonathan Klinsmann swatted away a Mohamed El-Munir chance inside the penalty area in the 41st minute, and a header by Jose Cifuentes off a corner kick was headed back out by Sacha Kljestan at the goal line in the 54th minute.

Finally, in the 58th minute, LAFC edged ahead. Rossi took a ball from Eddie Segura, took a touch forward and sprung Musovski with a through ball. The ball went just inside the penalty area, which was enough to draw out Klinsmann and Musovski chipped a ball over Klinsmann that went in at the back post to get LAFC on the board. The goal however did not come without controversy, as replays showed both Segura and the ball to be out of bounds outside the Galaxy penalty area prior to passing the ball to Rossi, meaning the Galaxy should have had a corner. Still, nothing happened as a result of the discovery, and the LAFC lead remained.

LAFC continued to apply the pressure late. An 83rd minute goal by Bradley Wright-Phillips was overturned by Video Review after Wright-Phillips was determined to be offside. LAFC however did get that insurance goal in stoppage time, and it came from a familiar source. Vela, playing his first match in about two months, which was ironically against the Galaxy, after injuring his hamstring, came in as a substitute in the 70th minute, then got his chance in stoppage time, as Wright-Phillips led an LAFC break, made a cutting move inside before playing a ball to an unmarked Vela inside the penalty area and Vela did the rest, as he chipped Klinsmann to the far post to seal the three points.

“It means a lot to everybody that Carlos not only gets back on the field after being out for a while,but then scores an excellent goal,” Bradley said. “It’s been really good just to have him back in training. There’s been a lot this year. Carlos in the midst of everything though, the great news is still the family news and the birth of his daughter.”

After the match, the LAFC players ran out of the stadium to salute a group of LAFC fans, who had been tailgating at a parking lot across from Banc of California Stadium and saluted them for their support despite not being allowed inside the stadium. The fans outside did their normal routine, waving flags, singing songs and lighting flares and fireworks throughout the match.

“We appreciate that so much, that was so awesome to see something like that,” Musovski said . “There was so many of them and they were just cheering us and singing. That was a special moment for me and for the team to see that. We’ve been missing their support.”

The Galaxy were short-handed coming into the match, as striker Javier Chicharito Hernandez did not play after getting injured in training on Thursday. Galaxy head coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto said Chicharito’s status for Wednesday’s match against the Portland Timbers is up in the air.

“He felt something wrong and then went out and we were waiting for him on Friday and Saturday but he didn’t feel very well so we decided not to use him,” Schelotto said. “He will try tomorrow and then if he’s ready he will play in Portland and if he’s not very well, he will get an MRI to know what has happened to him.”

LAFC will also be playing on Wednesday, as they host the Houston Dynamo.