RIVALRIES | LA GALAXY VS LOS ANGELES FOOTBALL CLUB
LAFC PUTS ON STATEMENT PERFORMANCE IN 3-0 WIN IN EL TRÁFICO
Fireworks lit up Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson as the LA Galaxy faced LAFC in a highly anticipated match. The Galaxy supporters' section revealed a passionate artistic display, with ICONIC RAPPER Kendrick Lamar on the tifo.
MAJOR MOMENTS:
SCORING TIMELINE
26' — Mark Delgado Strikes First (0-1): Former Galaxy midfielder Mark Delgado broke the deadlock.
45+1' — Denis Bouanga Converts from the Spot (0-2): After Justin Haak brought down Bouanga in the area, a VAR review confirmed the penalty. Son Heung-min handed the ball to Bouanga, who calmly slotted it past Novak Mićović for his seventh consecutive match with a goal against the Galaxy.
57' — Son Heung-min Seals the Victory (0-3): Son netted his first MLS regular season goal after linking up with Delgado on a fast counter-attack, placing a curling effort into the top right corner.
All-Time Series Tied: With the 3-0 result, the all-time rivalry record between LAFC and LA Galaxy is now level across all competitions at 10W–10L–7D.
RECAP
Despite the Galaxy controlling early possession, LAFC struck against the run of play in the 26th minute. Following a cross into the box from Jacob Shaffelburg, former Galaxy midfielder Mark Delgado won a battle in the area, seeing his initial effort deflect off defender Jakob Glesnes before pouncing on the loose ball to tap home from close range. The momentum swung heavily in favor of the visitors, and deep in first-half stoppage time, Justin Haak brought down Denis Bouanga in the penalty box. After a VAR check confirmed the foul, Son Heung-Min handed the spot-kick duties to Bouanga, who calmly converted to double the lead and extend his record scoring streak to seven consecutive El Tráfico matches.
The second half mirrored the first, as the Galaxy’s slow ball circulation left them exposed to lethal counter-attacks. In the 57th minute, Mathieu Choinière won a key tackle in midfield to ignite a fast transition. Delgado played a neat layoff to Son Heung-Min at the edge of the penalty box, and the South Korean superstar curled a precise right-footed strike into the bottom corner to make it 3-0 and lock in his first MLS goal of the regular season.
The 3-0 victory completely levels the all-time rival series between LAFC and LA Galaxy at 10W–10L–7D across all competitions. The three points propel LAFC into third place in the Western Conference with 27 points, backed by Hugo Lloris’s league-leading 9th clean sheet of the MLS season. Meanwhile, the Galaxy remain stuck in ninth place on 20 points, left needing to find clearer attacking solutions and faster rotational play as the second-half playoff push gets underway.
