LA GALAXY VS. LAFC
El Tráfico reached its 26th chapter, a rivalry that has already cemented itself as one of the fiercest in American soccer. At BMO Stadium, LAFC once again leaned on their fortress mentality—just six goals conceded at home all season, while the Galaxy have only managed two wins at the venue in their history.
That dominance showed early. In the 25th minute, Ryan Hollingshead slipped a sharp pass into space and Denis Bouanga finished with a crisp first-time strike. No extra touch was needed as the ball beat the keeper, giving LAFC the opening goal and sending the stadium into a roar.
LAFC didn’t let up after the opener. Just four minutes later, they doubled the lead with a move that started deep in their own half. Mark Delgado sparked the attack, threading the ball forward to Nathan Ordaz on a perfectly timed run. Ordaz carried the play into space before sliding a pass across the back post, where Javairô Dilrosun finished with ease.
For the Galaxy, it was a familiar story. Their back line has struggled all season, conceding more goals than any other team in the league, and once again the cracks showed under the pressure.
The action didn’t stop there. After falling behind, the Galaxy finally found a bit of control and forced Hugo Lloris into his first save of the night, pushing the ball out for a corner. From that set piece, fortune swung their way when Ryan Hollingshead was called for a handball inside the box. Gabriel Pec stepped up to the spot and converted, giving the visitors their lifeline. Suddenly, the deficit was cut in half, and the Galaxy were back within reach at 2–1.
In the 66th minute, LAFC regained full control with a third goal, once again built from the back. A defensive stop quickly turned into transition, as Eddie Segura found Denis Bouanga near midfield. From there, Bouanga put his speed on display—bursting from half field all the way into the box. With defenders trailing, he finished confidently for his second of the night, restoring LAFC’s two-goal cushion at 3–1.
In the 78th minute, the Galaxy struck back with their best move of the night. Crisp passing between Marco Reus and Joseph Paintsil opened up space, with Reus eventually getting the ball back on the wing. He whipped a cross into the box, where Gabriel Pec was waiting to finish. The strike gave Pec his second of the night, completing a brace and cutting LAFC’s lead to 3–2. The goal reignited hope for the visitors and shifted the energy heading into the final stretch.
The Galaxy nearly found their equalizer in the 87th minute when Hugo Lloris came up with his best save of the night, diving to deny what looked like a certain goal. But the drama was far from over. Just before the 90th minute, a strong foul by the Galaxy sparked tempers to flare, and Eddie Segura’s retaliation earned him a straight red card. LAFC were suddenly down to ten men, forced to defend their lead deep into stoppage time.
With the match slipping away, the Galaxy mounted one final push. Patiently working the ball across LAFC’s half, they switched play from wing to wing before Joseph Paintsil slipped a pass to Gabriel Pec. Pec found Mauricio Cuevas in space, and Cuevas delivered a perfect cross into the box. Waiting at the back post was Maya Yoshida, who rose high and powered home the header. In the final minute of stoppage time, the Galaxy had their equalizer.
El Tráfico never disappoints, and this 26th edition was no exception. A six-goal thriller that swung back and forth left BMO Stadium stunned, another reminder that when LAFC and LA Galaxy meet, the script is always unpredictable.
