LA Galaxy rolls past Colorado Rapids with a 5-0 blowout in MLS playoff opener

On Saturday, October 26th, LA Galaxy launched their playoff campaign with a 5-0 win over the Colorado Rapids, setting the tone for their 2024 MLS postseason.

Fueled by electric performances from Gabriel Pec, Riqui Puig, and Dejan Joveljic, the Galaxy showed why they secured second place in the Western Conference.

LA Galaxy Official Lineup: McCarthy; Yamane, Garces, Yoshida, Nelson; Cerrillo, Puig, Delgado; Paintsil, Pec, Joveljic.

LA Galaxy rolls past Colorado Rapids with a 5-0 blowout in MLS playoff opener

First Half

From the outset, Galaxy took control, boasting 66% possession. Within the first 5 minutes, Gabriel Pec nearly opened the scoring but missed wide. Pec stayed aggressive, attempting another shot in the 8th minute, only to be ruled offside.

Colorado responded with a few forward pushes, but LA’s stronghold remained intact. In the 28th minute, tensions flared when Colorado’s Reggie Cannon struck Joseph Paintsil in the abdomen. Surprisingly, the referee kept his cards pocketed, leaving both fans and commentators stunned.

Galaxy’s persistence paid off in the 32nd minute when Dejan Joveljic, assisted by Riqui Puig, found the back of the net, putting LA up 1-0. By halftime, Galaxy maintained an impressive 81% chance of winning, with Cannon finally receiving a yellow card after another foul on Paintsil in the 40th minute.

Second Half

The Galaxy emerged from halftime with renewed energy. Within seconds, they created two chances, only to be thwarted by Colorado’s defense. But the momentum stayed with LA.

In the 51st minute, defender John Nelson scored his first MLS goal with an assist from Yamane, extending Galaxy’s lead to 2-0. Just minutes later, Riqui Puig scored with another assist from Joveljic, putting the Galaxy comfortably at 3-0.

The crowd roared as Joveljic struck again in the 75th minute, marking his second goal of the night and securing the win. But the Galaxy wasn’t finished; Riqui Puig capped off the night with a final goal in the 86th minute, solidifying his role as MVP of the match.

Despite a late push from the Rapids during the five minutes of added time, they couldn’t breach LA’s defense. The night ended with Galaxy fans in jubilant celebration.

Yellow Cards

• Rafael Navarro (Colorado Rapids)
• Reggie Cannon (Colorado Rapids)
• Lalas Abubakar (Colorado Rapids)

With this stellar victory, the Galaxy look to build momentum as they face the Rapids again on November 1 in Game 2 of the First Round series.

With their backs against the wall, the Rapids must devise a solid plan to keep the Galaxy from claiming another victory. This opening playoff win has given LA a strong start and added fuel to their pursuit of a sixth MLS Cup.

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