Galaxy forced to settle for draw in home opener against Vancouver
LA Galaxy midfielder Memo Rodríguez, center, dribbles between Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, left, and defender Javain Brown, right, during the second half of the Galaxy season home opener at Diginity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, March 18, 2023. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LA Galaxy defender Kelvin Leerdam watches a his kicked ball is deflected by Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Ryan Raposo, right, during the second half of the Galaxy season home opener at Diginity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, March 18, 2023. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LA Galaxy midfielder Efrain Alvarez, left, kicks the ball defended by Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Ryan Raposo during the first half of the Galaxy season home opener at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, March 18, 2023. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LA Galaxy forward Raheem Edwards, right, is pushed down by Vancouver Whitecaps FC defender Javain Brown during the first half of the Galaxy season home opener at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, March 18, 2023. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LA Galaxy goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann jumps in the air attempting to block a shot against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC during the second half of the Galaxy season home opener at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, March 18, 2023. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LA Galaxy goalkeeper Jonathan Bond, center, blocks the ball against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC during the first half of the Galaxy season home opener at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, March 18, 2023. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LA Galaxy forward Raheem Edwards, left, dribbles past two Vancouver Whitecaps FC defenders during the second half of the Galaxy season home opener at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, March 18, 2023. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LA Galaxy midfielder Riqui Puig, left, battles for the ball against Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Andrés Cubas during the second half of the Galaxy season home opener at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, March 18, 2023. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LA Galaxy midfielder Gastón Brugman, left, controls the ball against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC during the first half of the Galaxy season home opener at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, March 18, 2023. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LA Galaxy midfielder Riqui Puig, right, gets past Vancouver Whitecaps FC defender Julian Gressel during the first half of the Galaxy season home opener at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, March 18, 2023. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LA Galaxy defender Kelvin Leerdam, right, celebrates with midfielder Marco Delgado, left, after Leerdam scores a goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC during the first half of the Galaxy season home opener at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, March 18, 2023. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LA Galaxy midfielder Efrain Alvarez, center, moves the ball up the pitch against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC during the first half of the Galaxy season home opener at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, March 18, 2023. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Victor Vázquez, seen holding his head in disbelief after being called for a foul during Toronto FC’s CONCACAF Champions League final against Chivas on April, 25, 2018, in Guadalajara, Mexico, has agreed to reunite with coach Greg Vanney with the Galaxy. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
LA Galaxy midfielder Riqui Puig, right, dribbles the ball defended by Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Andrés Cubas during the first half of the Galaxy season home opener at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, March 18, 2023. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
CARSON — The Galaxy finally made it home for the 2023 season, but even at home, not all is well.
A pregame protest by the team’s supporters group, approximately 250 people, got underway approximately an hour before kickoff, protesting the front office. It is a topic that the players and coach Greg Vanney have dealt with since the early days of preseason.
“Between myself, everyone in the building, the guys downstairs, we’re focused on our opponents, we’re focused on our season, focused on our training environment, we have a lot of things we’re focusing our attention on,” Vanney said Thursday. “We’re all pushing in the same direction and what we want to do is be successful and we want to win games and win championships.”
On the field, in front of a subdued 23,112 at Dignity Health Sports Park, the Galaxy (0-1-2, two points) scored three goals, but two were disallowed, leaving the game in a 1-1 draw Saturday.
Vancouver had two late chances, one off the post and another forced Galaxy goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann into a leaping one-handed save to preserve the point.
The last potential goal came in the 83rd minute by Dejan Joveljic, but referee Victor Rivas ruled the ball came off of Joveljic’s arm for a handball.
The Galaxy scored the equalizer in the fourth minute of a 10-minute extra time period in the first half on a Kelvin Leerdam goal, sending the game into halftime tied at 1-1.
The Galaxy thought it had its first goal of the game in the 28th minute as Riqui Puig shot through traffic and found its way into the net. However, in the build-up, Joveljic was ruled offside after Rivas went to the video review.
Riqui Puig has goals of winning league MVP and championships with Galaxy
The Galaxy had to make an early switch as goalkeeper Jonathan Bond was subbed off after a collision with defender Raheem Edwards. Bond eventually got up and was holding his left shoulder. He was replaced by Klinsmann.
The Galaxy will be on the road next Saturday visiting the Portland Timbers.
