LAFC collects hard-fought 3-2 win over Galaxy in El Tráfico

Carlos Vela scored twice and assisted on a third goal Sunday, carrying LAFC to a surprisingly hard-fought 3-2 win over the Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park.

The winless Galaxy (0-4-3), off to the worst start in franchise history, dominated the first 20 minutes, holding LAFC to one shot.

Then a giveaway by Gastón Brugman at midfield led to LAFC’s first goal, with Vela, given plenty of space inside the penalty area on the right wing, curling in a left-footed shot to the far post. LAFC caught a break on the play when the ball bounced off Galaxy midfielder Mark Delgado in the center of the box and caromed to Vela, who finished cleanly for his second goal of the season.

The Galaxy quickly regrouped though, tying the score just before halftime when Tyler Boyd lined a right-footed shot from 35 yards off the hands of LAFC keeper John McCarthy and under the crossbar. The goal was the first in MLS for Boyd and the first LAFC has surrendered in five games in all competitions.

The Galaxy, plagued by injuries through the first two months of the season, lost another player when center back Chris Mavinga appeared to tweak his right ankle early in the second half. That proved to be a turning point because when Mavinga limped off, Sega Coulibaly came on for the first time this season and the rust was quickly exposed when, nine minutes later, he threw a body block on José Cifuentes on the edge of the penalty area, drawing a penalty.

Vela had little trouble converting from the spot, putting LAFC ahead to stay and giving him 12 goals in as many El Tráficos, the most scores by an MLS player against a single opponent since LAFC entered the league in 2018.

Three minutes later, a Vela corner kick found Ryan Hollingshead on the edge of the six-yard box and his header from there made it 3-1 LAFC.

The Galaxy squandered a couple of chances to cut the deficit, with Riqui Puig lining a shot off the left post and Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, making his first start of the season, sending a right-footed at an open net well over the crossbar. Delgado finally found the back of the net in the 84th minute, rolling in a shot near the far post off an assist from Hernández to give the Galaxy late life.

That marked the first time the Galaxy have scored twice in a game this season and they almost had a third, but Lucas Calegari’s shot from the top of the box early in the stoppage time was just high.

With the victory, the team’s first on the road, LAFC (5-0-2) remains unbeaten seven games into an MLS season for the second time in five years. The Galaxy, meanwhile, are one of two winless teams in the league while their three points after seven games are also tied for last. Only two teams have scored fewer goals than the Galaxy’s five.

With the Galaxy’s four main supporters’ groups boycotting home games, the team’s stadium took on a pro-LAFC atmosphere, the team’s black-and-gold clad fans filling the second deck and chanting loudly all afternoon.