LA Galaxy Grind Out 2-2 Draw Against San Diego

Los Angeles, Calif. -- The LA Galaxy is still looking for a win against San Diego FC after the two Western Conference foes split points in a back-and-forth 2-2 draw at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday, October, 17, 2026.

LA started with verve against their Southern neighbor, but could not sustain the same zippy energy beyond the first half. As a result, they could not find the game-winner, and did just enough to hang on for the tie.

After three matches in six days, a draining week in which the the Galaxy won and tied at home and lost on the road in an ugly 6-2 mauling against the league’s most in-form team, it is understandable why the Galaxy faded. After taking four of nine points this week, with positive results at home, it seems LA Galaxy Head Coach Greg Vanney’s “calculated risk” of playing a rotated lineup in the road loss against St. Louis City paid off enough for his liking.

“I felt like we just had to be mindful of what we were trying to do. So we had to prioritize in my view, and you can prioritize on the road against the hottest team in the league, or you can prioritize the two home games. And so our priority was to take as many points as we could from the two home games,” Vanney shared with the Sporting Tribune. 

“Of course we wanted six, but I think the four are really important. So for that, I am proud of the group for just battling… And I thought the mentality tonight was really good. We started beautifully, and then the game started to get heavy on us as it got going.”  

All four goals came in the first half, with strikes by Joao Klauss and Erik Thommy leading the way for LA in the energetic opening frame. 

Klauss continued his good form for LA by opening the scoring in the fourth minute with a lovely solo goal. After Sergi Roberto received the ball on the left wing around midfield, the former Barcelona man squared to the goal scorer around the center circle. The striker picked the ball up, drove forward into the heart of the San Diego defense, and let a shot loose from about 30 yards that beat San Diego Goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega at his near post for the 1-0 advantage.

The Galaxy lead would last only six minutes, however. San Diego was awarded a penalty after Goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski was ruled ro have brought down Striker Cédric Bakambu while getting to a loose ball late. San Diego DP Winger Anders Dreyer stepped up and calmly converted the penalty to tie the score in the 10th minute.

Just a minute later, Klauss thought he had given the hosts the lead again and gotten a second goal.

The Brazilian forward met a Pablo Ruiz corner kick with a powerful header that Sisniega touched but could not keep out of his net. Unfortunately for Klauss, Referee Rubiel Vazquez waived off the strike after checking VAR and ruling that Emiro Garces had participated in the play from an offside position.

Vanney’s team didn't have to wait long to retake the lead. And they did it in style. Galaxy fans got to watch quite possibly the nicest Galaxy team goal all year on the goal. 

After Ruiz and Harbor Miller exchanged passes on the right wing, Miller backheeled the ball into Marco Reus’ path, and Reus played the give-and-go with the young defender. The Galaxy academy product cut the ball back across the face of San Diego’s box for Thommy to one-time the shot into the bottom left of goal to restore the Galaxy lead.

“Yeah, I mean the way we played on the right side with Harbor. I think Marco was also included in the counter attack, and then it's a great cross,” Thommy described. “Luckily, it was me once I finish. Yeah, happy that I could help the team. Happy that I scored after a long time again. And yeah, at the end of the day, still like because we're soccer players, we wanted to win.”

But San Diego would not go away and was able to grab the scrappy equalizer through Gabriel Pirani. 

A cut back ball was the source of the Galaxy’s undoing, with no Galaxy defenders able to cut out the pass. Instead, Oscar Verhoeven took a shot on goal that was blocked by John Nelson. Nelson's block fell kindly to Pirani for the easy finish to make it 2-2 just before the half.

Although the second half would see both Sisniega and Marcinkowski make tough saves, neither side could break through for the win. 

The tie leaves the Galaxy in eighth place, or the first play-in spot for the MLS Cup playoffs. It also sets up a mouth-watering El Tráfico next Sunday with crosstown rivals LAFC. 

With only three games left in the Galaxy’s season and LA chasing the playoffs, this could very well be the most important El Tráfico in recent memory.

“Today, we wanted to win—that was our goal—it didn't happen, but we didn't lose,” Ruiz told media in a post match press conference. “The important thing now is to rest well and think about LAFC and the remaining games we have left, which will be extremely decisive for us to be in the playoffs.”