LA Galaxy Toronto FC match recap

Robbie Keane scored a hat trick as the Galaxy brushed aside Toronto FC 4-0 Saturday night before a sold out StubHub Center celebrating the 4th of July.

#LAGalaxy XI: Rowe; Gargan, Leonardo, DLG, Rogers; Ishizaki, Husidic, Juninho, Lletget; Villarreal, Keane #LAvTOR pic.twitter.com/9sHrl705GJ

— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) July 5, 2015

The Galaxy dominated from the opening whistle, eager to make an impression on the loud and festive crowd that included new signing Steven Gerrard, who was introduced to the Galaxy faithful during halftime. 

Sebastian Lletget won a penalty for LA early when he was pushed down inside the box, and Robbie Keane stepped up and froze Toronto goalkeeper Chris Konopka before placing into the right corner of the net.

Though the Galaxy were bossing the game, TFC looked plenty dangerous on the counter-attack, even without the services of missing Designated Players Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore. Giovinco in particular was a nuisance, at one point pressuring AJ De La Garza into a turnover and quickly chipping just over the crossbar of a scrambling Rowe. Later in the half, Giovinco probed inside the Galaxy box and squared past Rowe to a racing Robbie Findley, but the pass was just too far for FIndley to re-direct and his attempt to poke the ball home trickled wide.

Soon afterwards Giovinco darted in and out of the box then pulled back to a waiting Perquis, but Dan Gargan made a crucial sliding block to careem the ball over the crossbar.

LA scored again in the 41st when Stefan Ishizaki, starting in what would turn out to be his final game for the Galaxy, played Baggio Husidic in past a flat footed TFC back four, and Keane calmly re-directed the ball home.

Keane completed his hat trick in the 59th minute when he anticipated an errant TFC back pass and rounded the keeper before passing the ball in from a tight angle.

It was hard not to be impressed with Giovinco, who almost single-handedly continued to scrape out chances despite TFC facing an insurmountable scoreline.

Finally, Lletget added a fourth goal deep into injury time when Robbie Keane located the winger in the box and he roofed a shot over the keeper into the net.

On a sad note, Bruce Arena announced in the post-game press conference that Stefan Ishizaki was leaving the club for family reasons.