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3 of the Greatest Moments for the LA Galaxy against LAFC ahead of Sunday's match

Why this trio of games standout the most in one of MLS's greatest rivalries
ByScott Conrad|
Los Angeles Football Club v Los Angeles Galaxy.
Los Angeles Football Club v Los Angeles Galaxy. | Ronald Martinez/GettyImages
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3. September 14, 2024: LA Galaxy 4, LAFC 2.

Mateus Bogusz and Denis Bouanga made sure to strike early against the Los Angeles Galaxy. Both scored in the game's first 15 minutes for LAFC.

The LA Galaxy had dropped the last three games in a row in El Trafico Clasico. That included the 4th of July match earlier in the season that was plaed at a neutral site, the Rose Bowl.

Down 2-0 at the half, the Galaxy appeared to be on their way to a fourth straight loss to LAFC. Serbian forward Dejan Joveljic put the LA Galaxy on the scored board in the first ten minutes of the second period. Midfielder Edwin Cerrillo added a goal two minutes later.

"It's a group that's maturing. That's the thing that we talked about all season is with the roster additions and the way we have kind of built the team and then it was just about maturing together as a group competitively and having big experiences. "
Greg Vanney, Head Coach of the LA Galaxy

With the game tied back up, 2-2, head coach Greg Vanney had his squad ready for redemption. Joveljic scored a second goal. LAFC's Lewis O'Brien was given a red card in the 79th minute.

Playing a man down, LAFC couldn't prevent Galaxy midfielder Riqui Puig from adding the fourth goal for the eventual 2024 MLS Cup winners. The 4-2 victory also allowed the Los Angeles Galaxy to be the first team in the MLS Western Conference to clinch a playoff berth last season.

Another come from behind win helped keep the LA Galaxy within reach of the first overall seed in the MLS Western Conference playofs last year. LAFC would win the top seed due to a goal differential tie break as both teams finished with a 19-7-8 record last season.

"The last two games against LAFC, I think that they kill us in the counterattack. We don't have the opportunities that we have always. And today, I think that in the first half, we have really good, two, three chances, one with Diego (Fagundez), I remember and the second half, we kill LAFC with (Gabriel) Pec, (Joseph) Paintsil, Marco (Reus) and me, and also with Dejan Joveljić, it was really good today."
Riqui Puig, LA Galaxy midfielder

We all know how that turned out as LAFC watched the rest of the playoffs from home after being upset by the Seattle Sounders in the MLS Western Conference semifinals. The LA Galaxy look to prevent LAFC from tying up the all-time series on Sunday.

The defending MLS Cup champions hold a 10-9-5 lead over their fierce rival. LAFC (6-3-4) enters the weekend fifth in the West, and the LA Galaxy are still looking for their first win of the 2025 MLS regular season.

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