The LA Galaxy’s 3-1 loss to San Diego FC on Saturday night highlighted the progress that is still needed for the G’s to become a playoff team.
The home side scored the opening goal of the match through Elias Achouri in the 11th minute of the match. A ball to the back post led to a loose ball in the box that the Tunisian put away.
LA recorded only two touches in the opponent’s half through the first 45 compared to San Diego’s 23 touches. That stat tells the story of how the home side dominated in possession. It was clear LA wasn’t at the same level as San Diego to start the match.
Just three minutes into the second half, Kieran Sargeant scored San Diego’s second of the night. Just like that, the home side had gained full control of the match.
It seemed like LA’s night was over, but Jeppe Tverskov’s red card in the 50th minute was the moment. A key pillar for the dominant San Diego midfield was gone and LA took advantage quickly.
Hirving “Chucky” Lozano’s moment scored in the 55th minute as he finished a loose ball in the box and scored his first goal in Galaxy colors. After almost nine months of no action, Lozano made his former team pay in front of the home crowd that adored him.
LA thought it had the tying goal through Kyogo Furuhashi, but the goal was disallowed after VAR found a foul in the buildup to the goal.
That was the sliding doors moment of the game. Amahl Pellegrino took advantage of a transition moment and scored the third goal for the home side. Even with playing with a man up, LA’s moment to take advantage didn’t grow into anything more.
“This is a team that you don’t want to get separated from back to front,” said Head Coach Greg Vanney postgame.
“I just I felt like we went from the elation of scoring and then scoring being back in the game to sort of the emotional gut punch of ‘we’re going to take that goal back’, and I think the we were having so much success being super aggressive, but when the play stops for five six minutes, right, the opposition has a little chance to reorganize to catch their breath,” added Vanney.
The main theme of the game from an LA Galaxy perspective was the external factors that halted the moments of momentum.
“There were just some really key moments inside of this game that fell down to some calls and some officiating… whenever that happens, the referee is the center of attention,” said Vanney.
The inconsistencies were clear throughout many moments of the match. Whether that was yellow cards getting handout early, inconsistencies for fouls, and the VAR moment that changed the course of the game and momentum for the Galaxy.
Vanney let his frustrations be known to the media.
“For me, the whole game had varying levels of what’s a foul and what’s not a foul, and that’s what I can’t live with,” said Vanney.
The loss drops the LA Galaxy to 13th in the Western Conference.
Lozano’s Return
San Diego FC made Chucky Lozano their North Star, as he was the first-ever player signed for the club. The Mexican winger added the star power to get the people hyped for San Diego’s first MLS season.
That star flamed out, and now he’s aggressively booed by the fans that adored him a year ago.
“I know the circumstances of the match... they are with their team; it’s their team, and they have to defend it. I respect that it’s the emotion of the game. That’s what they come for: to enjoy it, to experience it, and to let out all that emotion,” said Lozano about the atmosphere at Snapdragon Stadium.
Every time he was brought to the ground, the crowd cheered. The boo’s grew louder with every touch.
“I thought he handled himself like a professional. I thought he was excellent,” said Vanney about Lozano.
“I just felt like Chucky did a really nice job of playing with emotion, but not playing with too much emotion. And that’s a very fine line in a game like this,” added Vanney.
The emotion did come out during his goal in the second half of the match. He celebrated with his teammates and started a run of momentum that would propel LA as it searched for a game-tying goal.
“To be honest, I experienced that first goal to the fullest... at the time, we were down 2–1, and then I think about five minutes later that (goal) happened... my teammates were absolutely thrilled, they enjoyed it... But unfortunately, it was disallowed, and well, that’s football,” said Lozano about his moment.
“Sometimes it comes down to small details that are out of your control but well, that’s just how it is,” he added.
He might have lost the game but Lozano was still an impact player. He led the team with nine touches in the box, shots on target, and tied for chances created. This was also his first time playing 90 minutes since joining the Galaxy.
““It’s a process… new players are coming in, players who are just settling in, myself included. So, it’s a process,” said Lozano.
“We’re getting on the same page, adapting to one another; we have very little time and well, I think we’re taking it step by step.”