LA Galaxy beat New England Revolution 2-1 at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday evening in a match that defied the statistics. Marco Reus opened the scoring from the spot in the eleventh minute before Robert Taylor doubled the home side's lead just before the break. Carles Gil pulled one back late on from another penalty, but the visitors could not find an equaliser.
Reus stepped up after only ten minutes when William Sands picked up a yellow card for a challenge. The German forward made no mistake from twelve yards, slotting home to give Galaxy an early advantage. To be fair, the away side should have responded better in the opening exchanges, but they looked uncertain in the final third.
Taylor extended the lead in the thirty-third minute, finishing calmly after a well-worked move. The home side controlled the tempo for long spells, though Revolution enjoyed more possession overall. Galaxy had 48 per cent of the ball compared to their opponents' 52, but their efficiency proved decisive.
By then the visitors had created more chances, registering seven shots on target against three for the hosts. Their expected goals figure stood at 2.28 to 1.38, yet the scoreboard told a different story. And here's the thing — the away side wasted opportunities that might have changed everything.
Gil scored in the ninety-sixth minute from a penalty spot, but it was too little, too late. Revolution had pushed for an equaliser throughout the second half, making five substitutions in total. Matt Polster and Alhassan Yusuf came on together in the eighty-fourth minute as the hosts saw out the game.
Galaxy move up to twelfth place with 29 points from 24 matches, while Revolution remain fourth with 37 points after 23 games. The result breaks a run of mixed form for the home side, who had drawn two and lost two of their previous five outings. Revolution's away record continues to show promise despite the defeat.