Galaxy rally to edge Dynamo
The Los Angeles Galaxy got a much needed win on Saturday night. Led by the performance of Gabriel Pec, the Galaxy rallied from a self-inflicted one-goal deficit to get the 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo at Dignity Health Sports Park.
Pec scored the equalizer just before halftime, then assisted on Riqui Puig’s goal that turned out to be the winner, and the Galaxy, coming off two draws, got a result that enables them to keep pace in the Western Conference race, as they are now third in the standing, one point ahead of LAFC.
“I thought it was a huge three points,’ Greg Vanney said. “You come back home and .you are starting four out of five, I think, at home. You want to take the first one. No matter how you do it, you want to take it, and we were able to do that tonight. I think that’s big.”
Down a goal with the first half nearing its conclusion, the Galaxy got an momentum-changing equalizer. Marky Delgado sprung Miki Yamane down the right side, Yamane then sidestepped Amine Bassi’s challenge, sent a cross from just outside the penalty area and Pec headed a ball past keeper Andrew Tarbell for the tying goal. The Galaxy then surged ahead in the 59th minute, as Gaston Brugman dribbled the length of the field, played Pec into the penalty area, Peck then passed to Riqui Puig, who took a touch before firing a shot past Tarbell far post.
“The team is getting better little by little,” Pec said. “After three ties in a row, getting back home and getting a result, that’s feeling very good. The team has been doing great. Also, myself. I hope I can help my team moving forward.”
Houston was gifted the opening goal in the 18th minute. Bassi sent a ball forward, Yamane got to the ball and passed back to keeper John McCarthy, who then got rid of the ball, but inadvertently passed to Latiff Blessing, and he capitalized on McCarthy’s mistake by gathering himself and firing the ball past a scrambling McCarthy into the back net to stake the Dynamo to the lead. Houston nearly doubled its lead a minute later, as Coco Carrasquilla crossed into the penalty area, Bassi one-timed a ball towards goal, McCarthy made the save, the ball fell to Blessing, who shot the rebound attempt past McCarthy, but not past Yamane, as he cleared the ball at the goal line.