ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC interim coach John Hackworth speaks to the media after the team won 2-1 over LA Galaxy on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. Video provided by the team; edited by Beth O'Malley
ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC followed up a disappointing tie with an invigorating win, knocking off the best team in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Galaxy, 2-1 on a hot Sunday afternoon before a sellout crowd at CityPark.
Marcel Hartel scored the game winner, flicking in a crossing pass from Jayden Reid, who had entered the game as a sub at left back just minutes before, in the 68th minute. In the first half, Cedric Teuchert scored for City SC as the team’s summer acquisitions continue to be boons to the offense.
City SC also got Klauss and Rasmus Alm back after both were out since June with knee injuries. Klauss came on in the 64th minute and Alm in the 75th.
It may be too late to salvage a playoff spot this season, but the win moved City SC from 10 points out of the last playoff spot in the Western Conference to nine, with seven games to play. Math says City SC probably has to win six of those to have a chance, but the Galaxy is probably the toughest team City SC will face the regular season, and if it can beat them, it has to feel it’s in a game with anybody — though the team still has yet to win on the road this season, which is a major hurdle still to overcome.
After taking an early lead and then losing it in the first minute of the second half, City SC regained the lead in the 68th minute. Eduard Lowen won a ball back in the Galaxy end and passed to Reid on the left. He took the ball deep in the Galaxy zone but kept it wide, and his cross found Hartel about 12 yards out for the redirection.
City SC took the lead in the ninth minute. Jake Nerwinski, making just his third start in an MLS game this season as interim coach John Hackworth looked to bolster the team’s defense, picked off a pass near midfield and started a quick counter. He got to Indiana Vassilev, back in the starting lineup after three straight games coming off the bench, who played it to Simon Becher in the penalty area. He dumped it off to Teuchert at the top of the box, whose shot was blocked by the Galaxy’s Mark Delgado.
The ball came right back to Teuchert — there was eventually a lengthy delay to see whether it had touched Teuchert’s hand when it did that — and this time, he had a few extra moments to shoot and was able to put it right where he was aiming, just inside the far post and just out of the reach of diving goalkeeper John McCarthy.
For Teuchert, it was his fourth goal in the past six games and his second in as many games, which, in something that reflects the adventures of the team’s offense, matches the team mark for longest consecutive games with a goal streak.
Both teams threatened to score, but neither team could in the rest of the half, though the Galaxy got the ball in some dangerous positions in the City SC penalty area and Lowen took a free kick in stoppage time that required a diving save by McCarthy.
City SC could have used another goal when the Galaxy scored in the first minute of the second half, with Miguel Berry, who had just come into the game, making a deft backheel pass to Gabriel Pec, who was alone on goalkeeper Roman Burki and scored from about 8 yards. It marked five straight games that City SC had taken a lead only to lose it.
Jannes Horn made his first start for City SC, replacing Reid at left back, but in the early stages of his return to play went 64 minutes before being subbed out in favor of Reid. Nerwinski started in place of Tomas Totland, who has been one of the most regular players in the City SC lineup but whose defense has caused Hackworth some concern.
ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC interim coach John Hackworth speaks to the media after the team won 2-1 over LA Galaxy on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. Video provi…
LA Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy looks towards the goal as ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC forward Cedric Teuchert celebrates after scoring a goal on Sunday Sept. 1, 2024, against LA Galaxy at CityPark Stadium.