The LA Galaxy welcomed 2024 MLS Cup champion Dejan Joveljic back to Dignity Health Sports Park with a ring and four goals against his new team.
Greg Vanney watched from above as Joseph Paintsil stole the headlines with a hat trick, but the real story comes on Wednesday at the Campeones Cup Final.
The LA Galaxy made things right after losing to a Sporting Kansas City side that didn’t register a shot on target back in May by putting four past them on Saturday, September 28.
Man of the people and LA Galaxy assistant coach Dan Calichman took over head coach duties for Greg Vanney, who was suspended for yellow card accumulation. Both coaches noted after the match that the game started wide-open, with both teams finding space in each other’s attacking third.
An end-to-end game gave Joseph Paintsil space to shine and find his finishing form. Two assists from Mauricio Cuevas and an unofficial assist from Harbor Miller set up Paintsil to score his first MLS hat trick within just 43 minutes, making him the fastest player to score three goals in LA Galaxy history.
The Galaxy’s youngsters continue to make a massive impact on results, as they’ve been given more and more opportunities to impress.
Miller was a threat nearly every time he got on the ball, Cuevas was a nuisance with his pace and passing ability, and Elijah Wynder has found his stride as a workhorse in the midfield. Chris Rindov played solid 90 minutes and contributed to the last goal, and Ruben Ramos Jr. was unlucky not to have a brace in his 17-minute cameo.
Dan Calichman said these players are, without a doubt, going to be involved in the team’s planning and potential roster decisions for 2026, even hinting that Elijah Wynder may potentially step into a full starting role next year.
Dejan Joveljic scored on his homecoming, putting one past his good friend Novak Micovic in the 28th minute. Unfortunately for him and Kansas City, one goal wouldn’t be enough to take points off of the Galaxy this time.
Diego Fagundez joined the scoring party in the 60th minute, putting away a great team goal that started with a ball recovery from Chris Rindov and ended with some slick combination play from Paintsil, Gabriel Pec, and Fagundez.
Altogether, the match was a definite high point of an otherwise difficult season. The team is looking to carry this energy into the Campeones Cup Final against Deportivo Toluca FC.
Fagundez summed up the importance of a chance at silverware in the post-match press conference.
“There are teams who go to playoffs and don’t have the chance to lift a trophy, but we have the power to lift one”.
He also had a message for detractors of the significance of a trophy like the Campeones Cup, saying:
“A cup in the trophy case is a cup in the trophy case, it doesn’t matter whether people say it matters or not, we care about every cup”.
The Galaxy will need to be on top form again against Toluca if they want to take the Campeones Cup home. Toluca are in red-hot form coming into the final, scoring 18 goals in their last five games and currently sitting as Liga MX leaders.
The goal-scoring threat will be setting off alarms across Galaxy-land, as the team hasn’t kept a clean sheet since their 3-0 win against Colorado Rapids on August 23rd. Still, the final could be setting up to be a shoot-out, as Toluca have only kept one clean sheet since tying 0-0 in regular time against Orlando City SC in the Leagues Cup, before getting eliminated on penalties.
To quote Diego Fagundez again, “Everybody needs to come hungry” on Wednesday.
The Galaxy will be dead-set on ending their worst season with a trophy, and the only way they’ll be able to pull it off is together.
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