0-2: Riqui Puig misses a penalty but responds with a fine goal

with a goal from Riqui Puighe LA Galaxy Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández qualified for the quarterfinals of the US Open Cup by eliminating 0-2 in the Los Angeles derby in a Los Angeles FC (LAFC) without Carlos Vela and with many substitutes in their eleven.

Tyler Boyd, who also had a goal of great quality, sealed the other goal for a Galaxy where Puig missed a penalty and was in dire need of joy after starting the MLS season on a terrible note. way (below the West with just two wins in 13 games).

On the other hand, LAFC, leaders of the West with only one defeat in 12 games and next week will play against León in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions League final, decided to rotate with a lineup full of substitutes and the youth. with a few minutes on their legs.

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Compared to their last MLS game (on Saturday against the San Jose Earthquakes), only four LAFC starters are back: Kwadwo Opoku, Mateusz Bogusz, Stipe Biuk and Erik Dueñas. Thus, none of the LAFC heavyweights took the field with notable absences such as Mexican Carlos Vela, Denis Bouanga, the Spanish Ilie Sánchez, the Ecuadorians José Cifuentes and Diego Palacios or Ryan Hollingshead.

The Galaxy went to LAFC’s BMO Stadium without reserve troops and thus managed to defeat their great rival “El trafico” in the Cup for the second year in a row, the colloquial name of this Los Angeles derby. Despite their obvious inferiority due to the names of their eleven, LAFC started the match with personality, combining successfully and reaching the Galaxy area with a lot of risk and ease.

Opoku and Bogusz were among those who could catch an LAFC who stroked the goal on several clear occasions. It was very difficult for the Galaxy to enter the match but they found a gift in the 33rd minute thanks to an innocent penalty from Dueñas against Uruguayan Gastón Brugman. Puig took responsibility for the maximum penalty but his shot was saved by local goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic.

At the start of the second half, LAFC came close to a goal again with a deflected shot from Bogusz and a great chance for Biuk, who was unable to send a ‘death pass’ into the net on the edge of the small area. Too many missed chances hurt LAFC against a Galaxy that knocked them out in just three minutes.

First it was Boyd, who in the 49th minute invented a perfect left-footed shot from the top of the box, and in the 52nd minute Puig sealed the game, grabbing the ball in the center circle, riding towards the rival area, cut through two LAFC defenders with a fantastic move and chipped the ball with class in front of Jakupovic.

Puig celebrated his great goal by taking off his shirt and displaying his number 6 at the back of the stadium where the LAFC support stands are located. Those two goals left an LAFC morale so touched that it barely bothered the Galaxy area.

Houston, Miami and Cincinnati advanced

In Tuesday’s other three games, the Houston Dynamo’s 4-0 win over Minnesota United was highlighted by a Corey Baird hat-trick. Also, Inter Miami, which lost 3-1 in Saturday’s Florida derby to Orlando City, bounced back by beating Nashville 2-1.

Argentines Franco Negri and Nicolás Stefanelli scored for Inter Miami from two counterattacks while Alex Muyl headed in Nashville’s lone goal.

Finally, Cincinnati earned the ticket for the quarterfinals by defeating the New York Red Bulls on penalties (3-5) after a 1-1 tie that ended in extra time. Argentine Álvaro Barreal scored the decisive penalty that gave Cincinnati qualification, which has started the season very well and is the leader of the MLS East.

Yuya Kubo put Cincinnati ahead after some good collective play from the visitors as the New York Red Bulls forced extra time with a 92nd-minute strike from Brazilian Dante Vanzeir.