The LA Galaxy will try to continue their strong start to the season in Carson, Calif., on Saturday when they host a Seattle Sounders side still in search of its first victory.
The unbeaten Galaxy (2-0-3, 9 points) flirted with defeat for most of the night last Saturday before rallying for a 3-2 win at Sporting Kansas City.
The visitors turned the match on its head with a nine-minute outburst that began in the 72nd minute. With the Galaxy trailing 2-0, Eriq Zavaleta, Dejan Joveljic and Marky Delgado all scored as LA stole one on the road.
“I just thought we made better decisions with the ball as (the game) progressed,” Galaxy manager Greg Vanney said. “We were more patient at the right times, we were fast at the right times. And then we found some seams, we found some holes and we finished some goals.”
Joveljic has now scored in each of LA’s first five matches of the season, tied for an MLS record to begin a campaign.
Meanwhile, Seattle (0-2-2, 2 points) saw its rally fall short in a 3-2 defeat at San Jose last Saturday.
But the ability to respond from a two-goal deficit to draw level — before conceding again to Jeremy Ebobisse in the dying stages — could give confidence to an attacking group that had only two goals in its first three matches.
Veteran striker Raul Ruidiaz has now scored in back-to-back games from the penalty spot, and against the Earthquakes played his first full 90 minutes of the season. Attacking midfielder Albert Rusnak made his second appearance off the bench after missing Seattle’s first two games with an ankle issue.
Defensive midfielder Joao Paulo and winger Pedro de la Vega are among those expected to remain out with ailments on Saturday. But there could be enough in Seattle’s second-half performance to inspire better attacking play against a Galaxy defense that has leaked nine goals.
“I think we’ve been playing well but the goals haven’t come,” said defender Cody Baker, who contributed his first career MLS assist on Danny Musovski’s equalizer. “So when the goals start to come, it’ll turn around.”
–Field Level Media