LA Galaxy II made a fast start and held on for a 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC 2, despite being heavily outplayed for long spells. The hosts jumped into a two-goal lead inside half an hour and then had extra protection after a red card for the visitors.
Julian Placias opened the scoring on 25 minutes, and Eric Preston doubled the lead just five minutes later, both goals coming inside the first 30 minutes. Los Angeles FC 2 then lost Jose Magaña to a red card just after the hour, making their comeback even harder.
The numbers tell a clear story of a smash-and-grab win. LA Galaxy II had only 33% possession and 7 total shots (2 on target) but racked up 2.32 expected goals, while Los Angeles FC 2 had 67% possession, 16 shots and 0.60 xG — yet found the Galaxy II keeper in inspired form, making 7 saves to keep a clean sheet.
