LA Galaxy vs LAFC summary: score, goals, highlights, MLS
LA Galaxy 2-3 LAFC: as it happened
FT: LA Galaxy 2-3 LAFC
LAFC win a thrilling Tráfico to stay unbeaten for the season.
LA Galaxy's woes go from bad to worse as they have yet to win in 2023.
LAFC have won El Tráfico, beating their rivals La Galaxy away from home for the first time ever in the regular season!
And there's the final whistle!
McCarthy punches the corner away!
LA Galaxy have a corner...
Bouanga goes through on goal but his shot is blocked.
Only for McCarthy's heroics, the Galaxy would be ahead.
Calegari's effort was flying into the top corner but McCarthy pulls off yet another super stop.
Calegari!
Oh, what a save by McCarthy!
The Galaxy have time to find an equaliser.
Eight minutes have been added on!
They haven't given up and have kept plugging away. LAFC are on the back foot now having looked so comfortable.
Can LA Galaxy find that equaliser now?
The home side work it down the left and the cross is met at the back post by Delgado, who just has to tap it into the empty net.
Chicharito comes alive and is clean through but McCarthy makes himself big to deny the striker.
It's a brilliant save.
The former Barcelona midfielder comes so close to making it 2-3.
RIQUI PUIG!
What a hit!
It comes flying back out off the post.
LAFC change
OFF Opoku
ON Bogusz
You may be asking where Chicharito is. He has been extremely quiet today.
10 in 10 for Vela vs the Galaxy
It's now 10 goals against the Galaxy in 10 games for Vela - the most regular-season goals any MLS player has against a single opponent since 2018.
LAFC are cruising now...
And it should be FOUR!
What a chance for them to totally wrap this game up.
Bouanga plays Opoku in... he slides for it but his effort goes wide.
The away side have turned the game on its head.
Vela swings in the corner from the right and Hollingshead heads home to double their lead!
LAFC have two in two minutes!
Vela has his second of the game and LAFC are in front for the second time today.
He puts it down the middle and Klinsmann dives to his right.
Substitute Coulibaly sticks a foot out and takes him down.
PENALTY FOR LAFC!
Cifuentes is taken down in the box!
Bouanga, hard to miss with the 99 on his back, cuts in from the left and shoots well wide of goal.
As Greg Vanney’s men look to pick up their first victory of the campaign, history suggests they can.
Dignity Health Sports Park has not been a happy hunting ground for LAFC since they joined MLS in 2018. The Black and Gold are yet to claim a regular-season win on the road against the Galaxy.
They have 30 minutes left to get a result.
The ball is played long to Opoku, who takes it down superbly on the edge of the box. The Galaxy defence does well to send him away from goal and LAFC recycle it.
LA Galaxy change
OFF Mavinga
ON Coulibaly
Coulibaly is going to replace Mavinga in the heart of the defence. The defender is limping off injured.
Now LA Galaxy defender Mavinga is down for what appears to be a muscular issue. It could be his hamstring as I'm looking back at it and he starts to hobble off the ball and then goes down to get treatment.
Play has stopped as Long goes down after a challenge from Chicharito. It's an accidental clash.
Boyd picks it up in acres of space on left and curls a cross to the back post. He overhits it and it goes out for a goal-kick.
It has been a scrappy start to the second half as both sides look to get control of the game.
Boyd's belter
Boyd equalised from distance in the first half after LAFC went ahead.
And it was the former Besiktas man's first ever MLS goal.
In this second half, the Galaxy are playing from left to right and will have their tails up after scoring the equaliser at the end of the first 45'
LA Galaxy get us underway for the second half!
It's 1-1 at the break at Dignity Health Sports Park.
Vela gave the visitors the lead with a well-taken finish before Boyd equalised for the Galaxy just before half-time.
It's set up nicely for the second half.
And there's the whistle for half-time!
There will be one minute added on.
Boyd cracks an effort from about 35 yards out and McCarthy gets a hand to it but it flies into the top corner. The Galaxy are back in the game just before half-time!
Boyd goes for the stepover and drops the shoulder to gain a yard of space. He cuts in onto his left and rifles it high from 20 yards but McCarthy pushes it out.
Vela's touch is superb. He takes it down neatly but is then tackled on the edge of the box. I remember hearing once that Vela isn't that bothered about football. But he can play... that's for sure.
Bouanga gets to the byline before crossing low. It eventually comes off Klinsmann and goes out for a corner to LAFC. LA Galaxy manage to clear the corner.
Cifuentes catches Brugman. It's a free to the home side.
LA Galaxy have yet to record a win in their opening six games of the 2023 MLS season.
They currently languish in the penultimate position of the Western Conference having just secured three points all season, and find themselves 0-1 down here.
Another inswinging LAFC corner from the right comes into the box.
Klinsmann comes off his line to punch it away.
With his goal, Vela has broken Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s record goal haul in El Tráfico.
Vela was level with the former Galaxy striker on eight goals in the fixture, so he overtakes the Swede after scoring his ninth.
The LAFC corner comes in from the right. Long heads just wide.
Both sides have had chances but it's Vela who shows his class in front of goal. It's a cracking finish.
The ball falls to Vela on the right-hand side of the box and he curls it, left-footed, into the far corner of the net.
LAFC are ahead!
Carlos Vela opens the scoring with a superb curling effort!
Acosta is booked for taking down Riqui Puig.
It has been a pretty open affair so far but there has been a lack of quality in the final third.
Chicharito is in acres of space on the left when the ball falls to him.
McCarthy comes off his line to tighten the angle and the former Manchester United man puts it well wide of the target.
LAFC break down the other end. Cifuentes sees his shot blocked and it goes out for a corner.
The Galaxy break from the resulting corner. It's three versus two. Puig plays Rodríguez in but he fires his left-footed shot wide.
It's end to end here but remains goalless in the Californian sunshine.
Chicharito is flagged for offside after making a run in behind and having his effort saved by McCarthy.
Palacios gets down the left but his cross is blocked. LA Galaxy win it back and recycle it through their defence. 0-0
LA Galaxy have started the better of the two sides. Riqui Puig goes on another long run. His eventual cross is headed away.
Today's referee is Armando Villareal.
Riqui Puig drives at the LAFC defence, before curling an effort over the bar from 20 yards.
LAFC are going well so far this season, with four wins and two draws in their six games.
The Galaxy are under pressure coming into his one, having picked up just three points in their opening six games.
LAFC get us underway! They're playing in their black and gold from left to right.
Chicharito is back in the side for the Galaxy. He's wearing the captain's armband and will be looking to add to his goal tally in this derby.
Both teams pose for their pre-match photos.
We're just minutes away from kick-off now!
And now it's time for the American national anthem.
Here come the teams!
They're making their way out onto the pitch.
LAFC pre-match
LAFC have never won away to the Galaxy but their fans are in good spirits pre-match!
LAFC starting XI
- goalkeeper
- 77John McCarthy
- defenders
- 3Jesús Murillo
- 24Ryan Hollingshead
- 12Diego Palacios
- 33Aaron Long
- midfielders
- 23Kellyn Acosta
- 6Ilie
- 20José Cifuentes
- forwards
- 99Denis Bouanga
- 22Kwadwo Opoku
- 10Vela
- substitutes
- CoachSteven Cherundolos
- 32Abraham Romero
- 18Erik Duenas
- 30Palencia
- 17Danny Crisostomo
- 2Denil Maldonado
- 0Mateusz Bogusz
- 7Stipe Biuk
LA Galaxy starting XI
- goalkeeper
- 33Jonathan Klinsmann
- defenders
- 17Mavinga
- 24Jalen Neal
- 44Raheem Edwards
- 2Calegari
- midfielders
- 11Tyler Boyd
- 5Brugman
- 6Riqui Puig
- 8Marky Delgado
- 20Jose Rodriguez
- forwards
- 14Chicharito
- substitutes
- CoachGreg Vanneys
- 4Sega Coulibaly
- 9Dejan Joveljic
- 0Julián Aude
- 7Efrain Alvarez
- 31Preston Judd
- 18Kelvin Leerdam
- 32Aaron Cervantes
- 15Eriq Zavaleta
- 37Daniel Aguirre
LA Galaxy vs LAFC
The Galaxy have had their worst start to a campaign since 1997, when they also started the season with three points from six matches.
The club ended 2022 on a 5-1-5 run and entered the playoffs as the 4th seed in the Western Conference before being knocked out by LAFC.
Vela out to break El Tráfico scoring record
LAFC will look to Carlos Vela to help them end their barren run at the Galaxy.
The former Mexico international will also be out to break Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s record goal haul in El Tráfico.
Vela is currently level with the former Galaxy striker on eight goals in the fixture, so he will overtake the Swede if he finds the target today.
LA Galaxy under pressure
LA Galaxy have yet to record a win in their opening six games of the 2023 MLS season and languish in the penultimate position of the Western Conference having just secured three points all season.
To add to the misery at the club, Galaxy fans are protesting and carrying out a series of boycotts as they call for the resignation of president Chris Klein.
Members of the LA Riot Squad, Angel City Brigade, Galaxy Outlawz, Galaxians and Ghost Ultras Galaxy have protested outside the stadium at home games voicing their anger with concerns over a lack of ambition and demanding the departure of Klein, who took over in 2013.
LAFC’s poor regular-season record at Galaxy
As Greg Vanney’s men bid to pick up their first victory of the campaign, they will look to make the most of their home advantage - and history suggests they can.
Dignity Health Sports Park has not been a happy hunting ground for LAFC since they joined MLS in 2018; indeed, the Black and Gold are yet to claim a regular-season win on the road against the Galaxy.
In seven games away to the five-time MLS champions in the regular season, LAFC have drawn two and lost five. What’s more, the Galaxy have tended to score plenty of goals at home to their near neighbours: they have hit the net at least twice in five of those seven encounters.
Chicharito is coming up against Vela, two of the greatest forwards in Mexican football history.
First match between the sides
The first match between the two sides was only LAFC's third ever regular season game.
It was played on 31 March 2018, at the StubHub Center. Despite LAFC leading 3–0, with just 30 minutes remaining, the match ended in a 4–3 victory for the Galaxy.
Substitute Zlatan Ibrahimović, who was making his debut for the club, came on to score a brace and earn his side bragging rights.
Why 'El Tráfico'?
The name to describe the derby is El Tráfico. El Tráfico refers to the notorious traffic congestion in Los Angeles, in the United States - while also serving as a pun on El Clásico - the famous Spanish derby between Barcelona and Real Madrid.
LAFC undefeated this season
LAFC sit in third place in the Western Conference with 14 points, having picked up four wins and two draws thus far.
They will be hoping to make it three wins from three over the Galaxy today.
Chicharito vs LAFC
Chicharito Hernández has scored two goals and created two more in four career regular-season matches against LAFC.
Galaxy team news
LA Galaxy won't have Douglas Costa or Martín Cáceres available today but are expected to have veteran striker Chicharito Hernández, who has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Galaxy in 13th place
The Galaxy currently sit in 13th place in the Western Conference Standings with just three points and three goals in their opening six games.
Rivalry in its infancy
The rivalry between LA Galaxy and LAFC is still in its relative infancy, with LAFC only entering the league in 2018.
But five years later, it has established itself as one of the league's most hotly contested derbies.
LAFC's recent record
LAFC have won the last two Tráficos, beating the Galaxy on 8 July and 20 October.
The teams have won each of their last two home games against each other, but LAFC have not won in Carson (0-6-2) in the Club’s history.
Galaxy's Tráfico record
Sunday’s match at Dignity Health Sports Park between the LA Galaxy and LAFC is the 18th meeting between the two sides in all competitions.
The Galaxy's current record is: 7-5-5.
18th El Tráfico
It's that time again!
LA Galaxy take on their rivals LAFC. We'll have the teams in for you very shortly!
LA Galaxy vs LAFC
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of this MLS match between LA Galaxy and LAFC.