Kieran Sargeant and Amahl Pellegrino each scored second-half goals as host San Diego FC remained perfect in three all-time matches against the Los Angeles Galaxy with a 3-1 victory on Saturday.
In a matchup of teams entering the day just outside of the playoff line, San Diego FC (8-8-6, 30 points) moved into postseason position with the victory.
Elias Achouri also scored a goal and CJ dos Santos made seven saves as San Diego improved to 3-1-0 since it was eliminated from Leagues Cup competition. San Diego FC won after they were reduced to 10 players following a red card to Jeppe Tverskov early in the second half Saturday.
Hirving “Chucky” Lozano scored his first goal for the Galaxy (6-9-8, 26 points) while making his return to San Diego after a contentious departure from the club earlier this month. Lozano was playing his fourth match (second start) for Los Angeles while on loan.
Novak Micovic made three saves for Los Angeles, which was without starting goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski after he received a red card last Saturday in a 2-2 tie against CF Montreal. It was the third consecutive game the Galaxy lost a player to a red card.
San Diego FC took a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute when Achouri scored off a centering pass from the end line by Anders Dreyer. Sargeant made it 2-0 three minutes into the second half with his first MLS goal.
The Galaxy’s prospects brightened when Tverskov earned his second yellow card in the 50th minute and Lozano scored five minutes later to bring Los Angeles within 2-1.
Los Angeles appeared to tie it 2-2 in the 61st minute on a goal from Kyogo Furuhashi, but Lozano was called for a foul at the start of the play after a video review.
San Diego FC effectively sealed the victory when Pellegrino scored in the 70th minute off a long pass that made its way through the legs of Galaxy defender Harbor Miller.
–Field Level Media
