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Galaxy forward Matheus Nascimento, left, chases down the ball with Orlando City SC defender Robin Jansson during the second half of an MLS soccer match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, March 29, 2025. Orlando City SC won 2-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
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Galaxy forward Matheus Nascimento, left, chases down the ball with Orlando City SC defender Robin Jansson during the second half of an MLS soccer match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, March 29, 2025. Orlando City SC won 2-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
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CARSON — With so many early absences to key players, the first days of the 2025 season have put the Galaxy in survival mode.
For 70-plus minutes Saturday, the Galaxy had their sights set on the first league win of the season.
However, things would fall apart.
A late, questionable foul, which led to a successful penalty kick, tied the game and then Luis Murriel’s free kick from approximately 35-yards out was misplayed by Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy, leading to the winning goal in a 2-1 setback for the Galaxy (0-4-2) in front of 21,722 at Dignity Health Sports Park.
“What are you going to say about the second goal, honestly,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “There’s nothing to say about it. … At the end of the day, it (the game) should have ended 1-1.
“We allowed a goal that shouldn’t happen and that ultimately becomes the difference in the result.”
McCarthy jumped to get his hands on Murriel’s free kick, but couldn’t corral it and the ball rolled over the line for the goal in the 90th minute.
It was all going well for the Galaxy approaching the 75th minute.
Playing their first Saturday night home game of the season, Christian Ramirez’s 14th-minute goal gave the Galaxy their first lead in MLS competition this season. The goal extended his goal-scoring streak to four consecutive games.
The Galaxy would take that 1-0 lead into halftime.
In the second half, Joseph Paintsil made his season debut, coming on as a sub, replacing Tucker Lepley in the 62nd minute. Paintsil had been sidelined since the early days of preseason with a quad injury.
Even before the game-winning goal, Orlando had a pair of chances that could have opened the game up, but on one, Eduard Atuesta hit the post and the rebound was headed high.
In the 75th minute, Atuesta went down in the penalty area and referee Jon Freemon didn’t hesitate in pointing to the penalty spot. The foul was apparently checked by the video review; Freemon wasn’t called over to look.
“To me, the only reason you call that is because you’re antsy and you want to get involved in the game and you want to make a call,” Vanney said of the penalty. “There’s really like a tap on the heel. The player obviously throws himself on the ground. It’s at the corner of the box … there’s nothing there. Again, once you make the call, the threshold to change the call is so extraordinary that it becomes almost a waste of time, like if there is any contact at all, they’re not going change it.”
Martin Ojeda stepped over the ball and converted the penalty to tie the game.
The Galaxy had posted consecutive draws in league play entering Saturday’s game, 1-1 against the Portland Timbers (March 16) and 2-2 against Minnesota United (March 22), both on the road.
The Galaxy’s only win this season came in the second leg of the round of 16 CONCACAF Champions Cup series against CS Herediano.
The Galaxy will turn their attention back to CONCACAF Champions Cup action with the first leg of the quarterfinals set for Tuesday at home against Tigres.
The next league game is April 5 on the road against Real Salt Lake.
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