LAFC picked the perfect moment to remind everyone who’s boss in Los Angeles. In the first El Trafico of the season, and the first MLS match back for both sides after the eight-week World Cup break, LAFC took the Galaxy apart 3-0 at Dignity Health Sports Park, with goals from Mark Delgado, Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-min doing the damage.
It wasn’t the cleanest start from either team, which made sense given how long both had been away from league action. But LAFC found their rhythm first, and once Delgado’s slightly fortunate opener went in, the Galaxy never really looked like getting back into it.
Delgado broke the deadlock in the 26th minute, and there was a nice subplot to it, he spent two seasons with the Galaxy before crossing town to LAFC, and this was his first goal against his old club. Jacob Shaffelburg, fresh off his own World Cup run with Canada, swung in the cross. Delgado’s header cannoned off Galaxy defender Jakob Glesnes and looped up in the air, and Delgado, alert as anyone on the pitch, nipped in to tap the rebound past Novak Mićović.
Bouanga’s Penalty Doubles the Lead
Right on the stroke of half-time, LAFC doubled their advantage. Justin Haak’s challenge on Bouanga inside the box triggered a lengthy VAR review before the penalty was awarded. There was a moment of intrigue over who’d actually take it, Son looked like the man stepping up, but he handed the ball to Bouanga instead, and the Gabon international made no mistake, sending Mićović the wrong way. His sixth goal of the season, his eleventh in all competitions, both team highs heading into the break at 2-0.
Galaxy came out for the second half needing a response and never really found one. If anything, LAFC looked more comfortable as the game went on. Marco Reus, so often the Galaxy’s spark, had one of those nights where nothing quite clicked, a single shot that didn’t test the keeper, a handful of crosses that mostly found LAFC bodies instead of teammates.
Son Caps the Win
The third goal arrived in the 57th minute and it was a nice one. Son and Delgado combined on a quick transition, Delgado laying the ball back into Son’s path, and the South Korean forward finished coolly into the bottom corner for his first goal of the season. Game over, really, even with more than half an hour still to play.
LAFC weren’t about to take their foot off the gas carelessly, either. Yevhen Cheberko, making his club debut at left back, put in 75 solid minutes before making way, and David Martinez, whose future at the club has been the subject of transfer chatter, was brought on in the 66th minute to help see things through. There was nothing left to see through, really. LAFC controlled the closing stages comfortably and never looked like giving anything back.
Beyond the scoreline, there were a few numbers worth noting. It was LAFC’s eighth clean sheet in an MLS win this season, tying them for the league lead in shutouts, and it evened up the all-time series with the Galaxy at 10 wins apiece with seven draws. Delgado’s 90 minutes also made it 358 regular-season MLS appearances for him, moving him into the top 25 in league history, while Ryan Hollingshead’s start doubled as his 250th career start, only the 99th player in MLS history to reach that mark.
What’s Next
LAFC head back to BMO Stadium in good spirits, climbing to third in the Western Conference on 27 points from 16 matches. The Galaxy, now ninth with 20 points, don’t get long to dwell on it either, they’re back in action just days later at Dignity Health Sports Park against St. Louis City SC, their second match in a nine-day span after the long World Cup layoff.
Match Facts
- Competition: Major League Soccer, Regular Season (El Trafico)
- Date: Friday, 17 July 2026
- Venue: Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California
- Final Score: LA Galaxy 0-3 LAFC
- Goal Scorers: Delgado 26′, Bouanga 45+1′ (pen), Son 57′ (all LAFC)
Conclusion
This was as convincing as El Trafico results get. LAFC controlled the game from the moment Delgado’s header dropped kindly for him, and the Galaxy never found an answer at either end. For a club with genuine ambitions this season, it’s the kind of result that stings a little more given who it came against, while LAFC head into the second half of the year looking like one of the form teams in the West.
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Match data via LAFC’s official match recap.
