Galaxy defeat rival LAFC to advance to U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals

In rivalry games, records are supposed to be meaningless. The competition isn’t supposed to matter either. It’s just two teams, going toe to toe, for pride and bragging rights.

But all that is based on the assumption both teams show up. That wasn’t necessarily the case Tuesday night when LAFC and the Galaxy renewed their neighborhood grudge match in the round of 16 in the U.S. Open Cup.

The Galaxy, off to the worst start in their history, started a first-team lineup, knowing the Open Cup likely represents their best chance at a trophy this year.

LAFC, the reigning MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield winner, rested its regulars and went with a team of backups and reserves. And with the two-leg CONCACAF Champions League final starting next week, it didn’t even bother dressing its two designated players, Carlos Vela and Denis Bouanga, who have combined for 14 of the team’s 23goals in MLS play.

Not surprisingly, the Ateam beat the B one, with goals by Tyler Boyd and Riqui Puig early in the second half carrying the Galaxy to a 2-0 victory at a half-empty BMO Stadium.

The win was the Galaxy’s eighth in 19 El Tráfico matches; no team has beaten LAFC more often since the team entered MLS in 2018. The victory also ended a three-game losing streak in the rivalry and sends the Galaxy on to next month’s Open Cup quarterfinals against the winner of the Colorado Rapids-Real Salt Lake match Wednesday.

It also provides a huge boost of confidence for a team that is last in the MLS standings with two wins in 13games but unbeaten in two Open Cup matches.

LAFC, meanwhile, bowed out of the tournament with a round-of-16 loss to the Galaxy for the second time in as many seasons. Yet it remains atop the Western Conference standings, Tuesday’s result just its third loss in 20 games in all competition this season.

However, the lineup choices could come back to haunt LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo, who didn’t start Vela or Bouanga in Saturday night’s win over San Jose either. That means two players who have averaged a start every five days through the season’s first 2 1/2 months will have gone two weeks between starts when LAFC faces Léon in the CCL final next week.

“You get rhythm through playing games,” said Seattle Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer, whose team broke a 16-year Liga MX stranglehold on the Champions League final last year, becoming the first MLS team to win the tournament under the current format. “You get rhythm through playing games once a week.”

LAFC had the rhythm early, with a mistake by Galaxy goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann nearly resulting in a goal in the 21stminute. But Galaxy defender Calegari got his body between Stipe Biuk’s shot and the open net to keep the game scoreless.

Two minutes later, Klinsmann saved a shot by Kwadwo Opoku at the near post. And then in the 30thminute, Klinsmann dove toward the other post to bat away a bending free kick from Mateusz Bogusz at the top of the box.

Just before intermission, Klinsmann, who finished with six saves, made two spectacular stops seconds apart, standing up a Bogusz shot from the top of the box and then leaping in front of a Opoku header off the rebound.

The Galaxy’s best chance of the first half came on a penalty kick by Puig in the 34th minute, only to see LAFC keeper Eldin Jakupovic guess correctly and smother the shot, extending the Galaxy’s goalless streak on the road to 627minutes, dating to the opening half of the season’s opening game.

But if LAFC controlled the first half, the Galaxy got the best of the second with Boyd finally getting the team on the board with a left-footed shot from the center of the box four minutes after the break. Boyd’s first MLS goal also came against LAFC in last month’s regular-season meeting.

The Galaxy had to wait just three minutes for their next road goal, with Puig doubling the score in the 52nd minute. The goal was Puig’s second of the season.