The LA Galaxy earned a dramatic point in the Twin Cities on Saturday, March 22nd to make it out of the bottom spot of the Western Conference.
They face another difficult challenge on the 29th as Orlando City SC, the league’s top-scorers, visit Dignity Health Sports Park for the first time since 2022.
The sun was shining over Allianz field on a chilly Saturday in St. Paul when the LA Galaxy came to town looking for their first win of the year.
Then 5th-place Minnesota United were without key players with number-one goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair and leading goal-contributor Tani Oluwaseyi both representing Canada in the Concacaf Nations League.
The Galaxy seemed capable of securing all three points against the weakened side with a good start to the match. Julian Aude looked confident on the ball, putting in a curling ball towards Cristian Ramirez that he just couldn’t get to in the third minute.
Minnesota didn’t get much time on the ball throughout the match but got a lucky break early on. Anthony Markavich put in a looping cross that didn’t seem to be heading for any of his teammates following a scuffed throw-in routine for United in the 18th minute. John McCarthy must’ve felt more pressure than there really was as he floundered at the ball, failing to catch it and pushing it conveniently towards Minnesota striker Kelvin Yoboah, who graciously accepted the gift and put his side up 1-0.
Fortunately for the Galaxy, their fullbacks were on song, especially in the first half. Miki Yamane reminded supporters just how much he adds to the team with his first start since recovering from the hamstring issue which kept him out of the game in Vancouver. Yamane helped take away some of the pressure Gabriel Pec has been dealing with by joining him high up the pitch and offering the Brazilian a reliable option to combine with in attack, giving opposition defenders a much more complicated task.
Just eight minutes after Minnesota opened the scoring, Pec received the ball in a more central part of the attacking third before playing it out wide to Yamane overlapping on the wing. Yamane showed his attacking creativity by lofting a clever ball for Ramirez, who supplied his own creative finish to flick the ball back into the net and bring the Galaxy level.
The first half ended without any further goals and Minnesota United started the second looking like the most likely side to break the deadlock.
Markanich tried to get another goal contribution with his body making an interesting shape with a scooped shot in the 52nd minute which just rose over McCarthy’s crossbar. Joaquín Pereira took a better shot from distance a couple of minutes later in the 56th but McCarthy made sure not to give any more easy goals and clutched the ball to his chest.
United’s most threatening chance came in the 63rd minute when Pereira whipped in a great ball for Bongokuhle Hlongwane. Hlongwane did well to settle the ball before attempting to lock McCarthy, but the Galaxy’s keeper did an excellent job of reading the play and smothering the shot. Unable to hold on to the ball this time, Minnesota got to the rebound and Hlongwane got another crack at goal, which McCarthy did brilliantly to get in front of.
Minnesota kept their foot on the Galaxy’s neck and nearly scored in the 76th minute. Yeboah’s backheeled effort nearly went in off of Miki Yamane, but McCarthy came in and swept the ball up just before it could cross the line.
Los Angeles lost control of the match but did well enough to survive United’s mounting pressure, that is until the 82nd minute when Maya Yoshida was just unable to turn his body in time to prevent his arm from making contact with the Joseph Rosales’s shot. Yeboah slotted the penalty home and seemed to sentence the match in favor of Minnesota with just five minutes left in regulation.
Despite being down as a result of two unlucky breaks, the winds of fate changed just enough for the Galaxy to get a lucky goal of their own.
Substitutes Miguel Berry and Emiro Garcés got themselves into the box for a set piece in the 90th minute. The ball eventually landed to Berry after a couple of touches and he showed incredible awareness and composure to set the ball for Garcés, who unleashed a shot and got the Galaxy their second equalizer of the game in its dying moments.
Emiro’s first goal in blue, white, and goal earned his side another valuable point on the road against a tough rival, bringing them up to fourteenth place in the Western Conference.
They return home for their next game on Saturday the 29th when they’ll host Orlando City SC.
City are an exciting team at the minute, simultaneously boasting the league’s best goal-scoring record with 13 and conceding the second-most goals of any team with 11.
Joseph Paintsil returning to the lineup for the Galaxy could be huge as this fixture promises to be a goal-fest. Neither side has managed to keep a clean-sheet so far in 2025 and Orlando has managed to put at least one past every opponent they’ve faced. Paintsil will be an important weapon to the arsenal should this match turn into the anticipated shooting contest.
Goal scoring has been one of the Galaxy’s greatest weaknesses this year, but this will be their first game with Joseph Paintsil. They’ll need to incorporate him into their playstyle quickly if they hope to score first and lead a game for the first time all season.
A mistake and some bad luck prevented the Galaxy from taking all three points from Minnesota United. If they continue building on their progress and avoid further costly mistakes, they could announce their return to competitiveness with a first win of the year at home.
PHOTO: Andrew Hernandez/LAXSportsNation
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