Gabriel Pec, Riqui Puig combine for 2 goals, 3 assists as Galaxy beat Whitecaps 4-2
Los Angeles Galaxy supporters cheer as Los Angeles Galaxy's Gabriel Pec (11) celebrates his goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Carson, Calif. Credit: AP/Etienne Laurent
CARSON, Calif. — Gabriel Pec scored a goal with two assists, Riqui Puig added a goal and an assist on Saturday night and the LA Galaxy beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 4-2.
Vancouver (13-9-7) defender Ranko Veselinović poked the ball away from the Galaxy's Dejan Joveljic near the corner of the 6-yard box but Pec ran onto the loose ball and scored on a one-touch shot to make it 1-0 in the 35th minute.
LA (17-7-7) took a 2-0 lead on an own goal by Vancouver's Sebastian Berhalter in the 50th but Brian White put away a feed from Behalter in the 63rd minute.
Pec slipped behind the defense and ran onto a ball played by Pulg, from well-beyond midfield, at the edge of the area and the tapped a cross to Joseph Paintsil for the finish for point-blank range into a wide open net in the 69th.
Puig scored on a feed from Pec in the third minute of stoppage time to give the Galaxy a 4-1 lead before Sam Adekugbe, a 29-year-old defender in his seventh season with Vancouver, capped the scoring with his first MLS goal about 4 minutes later.
LA is the first team in MLS history to have four players score at least 10 goals in the same season: Joveljic (14), Pec (13), Puig (11) and Paintsil (10).
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