Photos courtesy of the LA Galaxy.
Keeper Jonathan Klinsmann got his first career clean sheet against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Sunday night.
Kai Koreniuk to the rescue for the LA Galaxy.
At around this time last year, Korenuik was finding his way with Galaxy II. The Dutch-American forward had started his career in the Dutch second division before getting onto the Galaxy’s USL side. Koreniuk had appeared in a match for the Galaxy main squad in a Leagues Cup match against Club Tijuana back on July 23, 2019, but that had been the extent of his time with the Galaxy.
On Sunday however, Koreniuk played the role of hero for the Galaxy against the Vancouver Whitecaps. His goal in stoppage time off of a Cristian Pavon cross snapped the Galaxy’s six-match losing streak and propelled them to the 1-0 result at Dignity Health Sports Park.
“It was a very important reaction we had as a team and I think today, we always had a really good shape,” Galaxy head coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto. “We defended very well, we didn’t give the other team any option to score and even when we attacked, maybe we weren’t wonderful, but we had options to score, so I think we played well.”
A draw seemed likely as the match headed into stoppage time, which would not have necessarily been a bad thing for the Galaxy, as it would have been its first point in a little over a month. However, with its playoff chances getting slimmer by the moment, the full three points were desperately needed for the Galaxy, and it was Pavon and Koreniuk who provided the moment for the Galaxy in the 91st minute, as Pavon sent the cross into the Whitecaps penalty area and Koreniuk swooped in and one-timed a ball past keeper Evan Bush into the back net for the winning goal.
“I saw the ball go out wide and I was like ‘I’m just going to get in the box and get my foot on it’ and that’s what I did,” Koreniuk said.
The Galaxy also got a good game from its defense and keeper Jonathan Klinsmann, who made four saves and his performance in addition to the performance of its back line was instrumental in getting the clean sheet.
“We just had to fight. When you’re in a losing streak, your confidence is obviously a little down. Maybe your passes don’t connect. At that point, you just have to fight. And Kai has been working really hard in training and you can see that. You can see the coaches were confident putting him in and he paid them back.”
The Galaxy now sit just three points of the Whitecaps for the eighth and final playoff spot. The Galaxy look to build on the momentum, as they face LAFC in round four of El Trafico on Sunday.
