The Galaxy usually rejoice Fan Appreciation Night throughout their last house recreation of the common season, although neither they nor their followers usually had a lot to rejoice. That modified on Saturday, with the Galaxy beating Austin FC 2-1 in entrance of a sellout crowd of 26,574 to say their first Western Conference title in additional than a decade.
After seven seasons spent wandering the desert, dropping extra video games than they received and making solely two transient playoff appearances, the Galaxy, it appears, are lastly again.
At the very least, they’re rewriting the franchise’s file books.
The sellout was the Galaxy’s eighth in 16 video games at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, elevating the group’s general common house attendance to 26,135 this season; the one time the Galaxy did higher was in 1996, their inaugural season, after they performed within the Rose Bowl.
Their 19 wins largely match the 2011 group’s complete within the trendy period, whereas their 68 targets are one fewer than the 2014 group. The Galaxy received the MLS Cup in each seasons, however since they by no means returned to play the championship.
Saturday’s win, solely the Galaxy’s second on Fan Appreciation Day since 2013, might assist finish that drought because it assured the group a minimum of a share of first place within the standings.
The victory got here due to targets from Gabriel Pec, 15 of his 15 targetsth of the season within the first half, and Dejan Joveljic, who matched Pec together with his 15th late within the second half, and left the Galaxy (19-7-7, 64 factors) atop the Western Conference standings with one recreation to play, that means a win or tie within the regular-season finale of the October 19 in Houston would give them the title and residential area benefit within the first three rounds of the playoffs.
If the Galaxy lose, LAFC (17-8-7, 58 factors), which has a recreation in hand, can rally them by profitable their last two video games. If this occurred, the convention champion can be decided by a collection of tiebreakers, together with aim distinction and complete targets scored; the Galaxy have good benefits in each classes.
Winning the convention and the appropriate to play at house within the postseason may very well be the important thing to the Galaxy’s playoff hopes as a result of their 13 wins and 42 factors at house are additionally franchise information. The group’s solely house loss this season got here within the Rose Bowl; the Galaxy are 13-0-3 at Dignity Health Sports Park.
This is an actual turnaround from final season, when the Galaxy completed thirteenthth within the 14-team convention desk, their eight wins match the franchise low for a full season.
On Saturday, Pec opened the scoring within the thirty first minute of an unpleasant, bodily recreation, together with his fourth aim in as many video games. Riqui Puig units up the rating with a protracted diagonal cross to Pec on the appropriate flank. The Brazilian then broke away from Austin defender Guilherme Brio, dribbled into the field and despatched a left-footed shot into the web on the different finish.
Austin (10-14-9), which was eradicated from playoff rivalry with the loss, matched Pec’s aim early within the second half, with Sebastian Druissi dishing house a artful Osman Bukari from the middle of the realm.
Joveljic then scored the profitable aim within the 76th minuteth minute, weaving his manner by site visitors to attain on a left-footed shot from the middle of the field. Puig bought the help on that one too, giving him 16 factors for the season. Landon Donovan was the final Galaxy participant to have essentially the most, recording 19 assists in 2014.
Puig has contributed 11 targets (5 targets, six assists) in his final 11 video games.
Austin’s Jon Gallagher thought he had tied the sport when he put a header previous Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy in second-half stoppage time, however Gallagher was offside, disallowing the aim.
