LA Galaxy 4-2 Los Angeles FC: Hosts claim playoff spot with stunning second-half comeback

LA Galaxy stunned derby rivals Los Angeles FC on Saturday with a superb second-half comeback to seal a 4-2 victory.

They overturned a 2-0 half-time lead with four unanswered goals around Lewis O’Brien’s sending-off, becoming the first team in the Western Conference to clinch a playoff spot.

Mateusz Bogusz gambled by peeling away to the back post and was in the right place to head Denis Bouanga’s deflected cross into the back of the net after just four minutes.

Just 11 minutes later, Bouanga made another driving run down the left and went for goal himself, drilling a low shot past John McCarthy from a tight angle. They could have had a third before the break, but Olivier Giroud’s half-volley struck the inside of the post.

Dejan Joveljic got his first, rifling into the roof of the net after a wonderful turn, and just two minutes later, Edwin Cerrillo scored a stunning goal of his own, beating Hugo Lloris from distance by curling it in off the outside of his boot.

Joveljic’s second was opportunistic – he stuck out a leg to help Riqui Puig’s strike past a wrong-footed Lloris from just in front of the goal line.

O’Brien was then shown a straight red card for a lunging challenge on Miki Yamane before Puig rounded off the scoring with a whipped effort into the near post.

Our LA. Our Galaxy.

First team in the West to clinch. pic.twitter.com/WpoBSXUAE9

— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) September 15, 2024

Data Debrief: Home advantage

To use an old cliche, it was a game of two halves, with LA Galaxy proving just why they are top of the table, and eight points clear of LAFC, in a brilliant second 45 minutes.

However, this is the first time they have won after trailing at half-time in MLS since March 24 against Sporting Kansas City, which they won 3-2, ending a seven-game run.

The Galaxy have now won 11 of their last 12 regular-season matches at Dignity Health Sports Park (D1), including the last nine in a row.