Marco Delgado scored a game-winning goal in the 80th minute as the L.A. Galaxy scored three straight goals in less than 10 minutes to rally for a 3-2 win over host Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night.
The Galaxy (2-0-3, 9 points) appeared lifeless for much of the match before catching fire in the final 20 minutes.
Sporting KC (1-1-3, 6 points) dominated all the stats except the most important one.
Trailing 2-0, the Galaxy appeared to pull one back in the 57th minute when Dejan Joveljic headed one past SKC keeper Tim Melia, but Joveljic was ruled offside.
Melia saved a goal in the 71st minute. Joveljic found the ball at his feet just outside the 6-yard box, but his shot was deflected by Melia and it trickled wide of the goal.
On the ensuing corner in the 72nd minute, after a scramble in front of the SKC net, Eriq Zavaleta fired it past Melia.
That goal inspired the Galaxy, who drew even three minutes later. Riqui Puig found Joveljic among the Sporting defense and he netted the tying goal.
In the 82nd minute, Gabriel Pec fired a shot at Melia, who deflected it right to Delgado, who slipped it into the net.
Sporting KC totally dominated the first-half stat sheet. SKC had 18 first-half shots, compared to just two for Los Angeles. Sporting had a 6-1 lead in shots on goal.
Melia made a nifty deflection on L.A.’s lone first-half shot on goal before Remi Walter cleared it safely away.
Sporting finally got one past LA keeper John McCarthy in the 34th minute. Following a short corner kick, Erik Thommy lofted one into the box. Willy Agada headed to Daniel Salloi on the left side. Salloi fed it inside where Nemanja Radoja left-footed it past McCarthy.
Salloi served a perfect pass on the second goal as well. He fired a corner kick that landed at Agada’s left foot. He one-timed it past McCarthy for a 2-0 lead in the final minute of stoppage time.
–Field Level Media