LA Galaxy collapse late to Houston Dynamo 3-2

Giovani dos Santos scored for the second match running, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the LA Galaxy fell late to the Dynamo 3-2 Saturday night at BBVA Stadium to kick off a three-game road swing.

LA Galaxy

Three minutes in the Galaxy were once again victimized by a questionable referee decision involving VAR. Despite Andrew Wenger clearly impeding the Galaxy back line from an offside position, center back Alejandro Fuenmayor was suspiciously open to tap home a Tomás Martinez restart. After initially waving off the goal, referee Alan Kelly gave it another look and decided it was legitimate. 1-0 Dynamo.

The Galaxy struggled to generate many chances, but LA were given a lifeline right before the half: Ola Kamara stripped the ball free in the midfield and raced down the center of the pitch before finding Zlatan to his left, and though keeper Joe Willis made the initial save, dos Santos were there to poke home the loose rebound.

Minutes after halftime LA were guilty of giving up another early goal. Romell Quioto’s restart from outside the area bounced off Ibra, redirected off Sebastian Lletget’s shin and into the net. In the 56th minute, Ola Kamara was inches off from a equalizer, but was unable to redirect Alessandrini’s square cross past the goal line.

LA were more dangerous after Jona dos Santos and Emmanuel Boateng were inserted into the game, and when Ola Kamara managed to put away Giovani dos Santos’ cross in the 85th minute, Sigi Schmid’s side thought they had salvaged a point.

It wasn’t to be, as substitute Memo Rodriguez scored in stoppage time to rob LA of a point on the road.