LA Galaxy claimed a hard-fought 2–1 victory away to Austin FC on MLS matchday 7, holding off a late rally from the hosts in a match marked by timely finishing and a flurry of second-half substitutions.
The breakthrough arrived in the 34th minute when defender Maya Yoshida put Galaxy ahead. The Japan international capitalised after a move involving veteran playmaker Marco Reus, who supplied the assist to make it 1–0 to the visitors.
Galaxy went into the break in front, having already seen Mauricio Cuevas booked in the 24th minute. Fellow midfielder Edwin Cerrillo also received a yellow card before half-time, underlining the visitors’ combative approach.
Austin FC were forced into an early change on the half-hour mark, with Besard Sabovic replacing Ilie Sánchez, and later reshaped their side with a double substitution on 61 minutes. However, it was LA Galaxy’s bench that had the decisive impact.
In the 71st minute, Carlos Garcés entered the fray, and seven minutes later he set up what proved to be the winning goal. In the 78th minute, Garcés found Erik Thommy, who finished clinically to double Galaxy’s lead to 2–0.
Austin responded quickly as they chased a way back into the contest. In the 85th minute, forward Myrto Uzuni pulled one back for the home side with an unassisted strike to make it 2–1, setting up a tense finale.
The closing stages were heated, with multiple yellow cards shown, including bookings for Galaxy goalkeeper J.T. Marcinkowski and goalscorer Thommy, as well as Austin’s Mikkel Desler. Despite mounting pressure, LA Galaxy held firm to secure all three points.
Detailed statistics such as possession, shots, and player ratings were not available at the time of writing. Full match context and additional data can be found on Ballaxy’s match page: Austin FC vs LA Galaxy.
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