Galaxy get past NYCFC

Dignity Health Sports Park is once again becoming a house or horrors for opponents of the LA Galaxy.

Dejan Joveljic was the catalyst for the Galaxy on Wednesday night against NYCFC. Joveljic scored the Galaxy’s opening goal, then assisted on goal number two, and the Galaxy remained undefeated at home with a 2-0 win over New York City.

“I thought we stayed collective for the most part, stayed together,” Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney said. “We were in good positions to help each other. They are going to have their moments and they are going to try to put balls in the box and put some numbers forward. I thought we managed most of them pretty well.”

Aside from being unblemished at home, the win enables the Galaxy (9-3-7, 34 points) to remain in the thick of the Western Conference race, as they are tied on points with LAFC for second in the West and are just three points back of West-leading Real Salt Lake heading into what is now a massive showdown with RSL in Utah on Saturday night.

“Yes, I mean, the next couple of weeks, we are going to have two big matches but I always say, we play for three points,” Joveljic said, referring to the Galaxy’s now annual trip to Stanford Stadium to face the San Jose Earthquakes the week after its match with RSL. “Doesn’t matter if it’s 85,000 people from us or less. We’ve got to take points and finally win three games if a row.”

The Galaxy capitalized on an NYCFC mistake late in the first half. NYCFC’s James Sands dribbled a ball out of the penalty area, but his pass was intercepted by Gabriel Pec, who immediately took the ball back into the NYCFC penalty area. Pec took the shot, NYCFC’s Thiago slid to bock the shot, but the ball fell to the feet of an unmarked Joveljic, and he slotted the shot past keeper Matt Freese to give the Galaxy the lead.

The Galaxy then got a chance to add to its lead three minutes into the second half. Pec dribbled down the left side of the field, slowed down, then played Joveljic into the penalty area, but tightly marked by Thiago, Joveljic played a ball backwards, the ball went towards a trailing Joseph Paintsill, but he chose to leave it for another trailing teammate, Diego Fagundez, and he blasted a shot past Freese.