Dejan Joveljic scores twice as Galaxy rally to stun LAFC and clinch playoff berth

The path to a Western Conference championship runs through L.A., making Saturday’s El Tráfico rivalry game much more than just a battle for bragging rights.

LAFC's hopes of gaining ground in the race for home-field advantage were dashed as it lost 4-2 to the Galaxy in Carson.

The game was a must-win for both teams, but even more so for the Galaxy, as LAFC still has two games in hand. A loss would have allowed LAFC to close the gap in the standings, making a run at the top spot in the standings and invaluable home-field advantage in the playoffs.

Now, the Galaxy (16-6-7, 55 points) comfortably sit atop the Western Conference standings and, even better, clinched a playoff berth thanks to an earlier loss by Austin FC.

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For much of the first half, it seemed LAFC would play spoiler, jumping to an early 2-0 lead. In the fourth minute, LAFC Mateusz Bogusz opened the scoring with a header.

Denis Bouanga added a strike of his own in the 15th minute, capitalizing on a Riqui Puig turnover, extending LAFC's lead.

“We got ourselves into a hole, and our setup wasn't right,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “We were expecting one thing and saw another. … In the first half, Bouanga getting a lot of open space and running at Jalen [Neal] was not a great matchup, and we didn’t want to be in that.”

After a scoreless first half, the Galaxy came out in the second with a sense of urgency, netting two quick goals thanks to Dejan Joveljic and Edwin Cerrillo.

“In the second half, we just came out with a lot of more energy,” Cerrillo said. “'Intention' and 'intensity' were two words that Greg brought up, and we knew we were down 2-0, but anything's possible here at home.”

Joveljic struck first, sending a shot over the outstretched arms of LAFC’s Hugo Lloris in the 53rd minute. Two minutes later, Cerrillo tied the game with a powerful shot from distance — his first in MLS.

“The first goal coming relatively early in the second half was huge because it sparked us again,” Vanney said. “It was another layer of that belief that if you keep it up, it's going to come. I'm proud of the guys because they got punched in the mouth at the beginning, but they responded.”

Joveljic added his second goal of the match — and 13th of the season — in the 67th minute, slotting in a finish after an assist from Puig. Puig then sealed LAFC’s fate, adding a goal in the 86th minute, marking his 10th of the season and snapping the Galaxy’s three-game losing streak to LAFC.

"We are soccer players who want to play these types of games," Puig said. "I spent all week waiting for this day. ... There are different games you have in your career, and you want to play these because it’s exciting, and people are looking at these games."

The road to the top seed has become much less stressful for the Galaxy, while LAFC's possibility of closing the gap in the standings and claiming the top spot has narrowed.

LAFC (14-7-6, 48 points) aimed to beat its crosstown rivals and reestablish itself as an MLS Cup front-runner, but the loss leaves the team two games and seven points behind the first-place Galaxy.

The chase for the Supporters’ Shield — awarded to the league’s winningest team — remains alive for the Galaxy. They sit four points behind Inter Miami with five games left in the regular season.

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"I think this team can beat all MLS teams," Puig said. "This year, we have the pieces that maybe two years before we didn’t have. ... To beat LAFC is really important because we see the level that we're at, and this win was really important for us."

Dignity Health Sports Park is key to the Galaxy’s success. They are the only team in the league with an unblemished home record, making home-field advantage in the playoffs even more valuable.

"At home, we've been undefeated," Cerrillo said. "That's really important for us. We know that in the playoffs, anything can happen, especially in this league. We want to make sure we have our playoffs here because our fans give us their energy."

This victory significantly boosts the Galaxy’s chances of securing their first Western Conference title since 2011.

“After last year, you don't take anything for granted,” Vanney said. “It's been a little while since we felt like we were going to be in the playoffs. So, to have that behind us is good. It's early enough, but now our eyes are really set on controlling our destiny and trying to win the West.”

The Galaxy will face a tough stretch, starting Wednesday in Portland. They will play four of their next five games against teams with winning records.

Meanwhile, LAFC will return home on Wednesday for its next match against Austin FC.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.