Galaxy advances in U.S. Open Cup after fast start against Sounders
Galaxy midfielder Marco Delgado, left, recovers the ball during the first half of their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match against the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy defender Julián Aude, center, celebrates with teammates after he scored a goal early in the first half of their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match against the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy midfielder Riqui Puig, left, dribbles the ball up the field during the first half of their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match against the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy forward Javier Hernández looks to pass during the first half of their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match against the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy forward Javier Hernández, right, heads the ball during the first half of their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match against the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy midfielder Gino Vivi, right, controls the ball against Seattle Sounders midfielder Reed Baker-Whiting during the first half of their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy forward Javier Hernández, left, dribbles the ball while defended by Seattle Sounders defender Abdoulaye Cissoko during the first half of their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy defender Julián Aude, right, moves the ball past Seattle Sounders midfielder Ethan Dobbelaere, left, during the first half of their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy midfielder Memo Rodríguez celebrates after scoring one of his two second-half goal in their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match against the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy midfielder Memo Rodríguez, center, celebrates after he scored one of his two second-half goals in their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match against the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy midfielder Daniel Aguirre, center, brings the ball up the field during the second half of their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match against the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy defender Jalen Neal, center, looks to pass during the second half of their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match against the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy forward Raheem Edwards, center back, vies for the ball against Seattle Sounders defender Xavier Arreaga, center front, during the second half of their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney, center, looks on from the sideline during the second half of their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match against the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy midfielder Memo Rodríguez dribbles the ball during the second half of their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match against the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy forward Dejan Joveljić, right, dribbles the ball past Seattle Sounders forward Fredy Montero during the second half of their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy midfielder Memo Rodríguez (20) celebrates with teammates after he scored one of his two second-half goals during their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match against the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy defender Lucas Calegari, left, kicks the ball as the Seattle Sounders’ Travian Sousa defends during the second half of their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy goalkeeper Jonathan Bond, left, makes a save during the second half of their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match against the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy midfielder Tyler Boyd, left, dribbles as Seattle Sounders defender Cody Baker approaches during the second half of their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy midfielder Tyler Boyd, left, kicks the ball past a Seattle Sounders defender during the second half of their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy midfielder Riqui Puig, center, controls the ball during the second half of their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match against the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Galaxy players huddle during the first half of their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match against the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
A man wearing a homemade T-shirt yells during the first half of their U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match against the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. The Galaxy won, 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
CARSON — Stuck at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, the Galaxy have a lot of work to do to get over the playoff line.
In the U.S. Open Cup, at least for the first round of their involvement, things are looking better.
The Galaxy scored early thanks to Julian Aude’s third-minute golazo and two second-half goals from Memo Rodriguez, resulting in a 3-1 win in the Round of 32 match in front of 8,412 on Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park.
“I thought it was a good night,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “It’s nice to get a win. When you’re playing a young team on the other side, you have a lot to lose. There’s a lot of stress inside of that, but the guys handled it well and did what we were supposed to and that’s win the game.”
The win is just the second this season for the Galaxy. The club has won just once in its first 10 MLS games.
The Round of 16 draw will take place Thursday. The next round will be played May 23-24. Due to last season’s playoff run, the Galaxy was one of the final eight MLS teams that entered the Open Cup in the Round of 32. The Galaxy had success in last season’s tournament, entering in the third round and advancing to the quarterfinals before losing to the Sacramento Republic.
Rodriguez’s first goal came in the 66th minute, just moments after coming on as a substitute. However, the celebration didn’t last long as the Sounders cut the deficit in half just minutes later on a header by Paul Rothrock in the 68th minute.
Late in the game, the Sounders brought on familiar faces Joao Paulo and Nico Lodeiro in an attempt to find the equalizer.
Rodriguez would end up being the key second-half sub as he scored his second, this time slotting it inside the far post from the left wing in the 84th minute for a 3-1 lead and eventual win.
The Sounders started a heavily rotated lineup with just two normal starters in the gameday roster, two teenagers in the starting lineup and seven players 23 or younger. The Galaxy, on the other hand, sent out a first-team roster, but with a formation tweak. In recent games, Vanney has sent out a two-forward formation, either a 4-4-2 or a 3-5-2.
Vanney talked after last Saturday’s loss to Colorado he talked about the need to “simplify our structure.” He sent out just Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez as the lone forward, with Tyler Boyd and rookie Gino Vivi on the wings, reverting back to the familiar 4-3-2-1 formation.
Another lineup change saw Jonathan Bond return as the starting goalkeeper after missing the last seven games due to a shoulder injury.
“There’s still a lot of work to do,” Bond said of the win. “There’s plenty we can improve. Getting the early goal was really important, that’s what we need. This is a competition that we want to take seriously.”
The teams met on April 1 at Dignity Health Sports Park in an MLS game with the Sounders winning 2-1, extending their unbeaten streak against the Galaxy to 10 games (6-0-4).
The Galaxy will return to MLS play on Sunday with a home match against the San Jose Earthquakes.
