In a thrilling match on Sunday, the LA Galaxy triumphed over Minnesota United with a score of 6-2, thanks to remarkable performances by Gabriel Pec, Joseph Paintsil, and Dejan Joveljic, each netting two goals. This victory secures the Galaxy a spot in the Western Conference finals, where they will face the fourth-seeded Seattle Sounders on Saturday.

The Galaxy, who secured the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, made headlines as they set an MLS record by scoring a total of 15 goals across three playoff matches. They dominated their first-round series against Colorado, achieving significant victories with scores of 5-0 and 4-1, effectively sweeping the series.

The scoring opened in just 30 seconds of the match when Pec expertly capitalized on a through ball from Riqui Puig. Pec maneuvered behind the defense and skillfully placed the ball past Minnesota’s goalie, Dayne St. Clair, marking the fastest playoff goal in the franchise’s history and the second fastest in MLS playoff history.

Minnesota’s Kelvin Yeboah managed to tie the game in the sixth minute, but Joveljic reclaimed the lead for LA in the 18th minute. Off a delivered free kick from Marco Reus, Joveljic executed a precise header into the net. Later, in the 37th minute, Joveljic provided the assist to Paintsil, whose one-touch finish doubled the lead to 2-1.

The game remained competitive, with Yeboah converting a penalty kick just before halftime to close the gap to 3-2. This performance by Yeboah marked only the third playoff game in franchise history where a player scored multiple goals, a feat previously achieved by Kevin Molino in 2020.

Despite a yellow card issued to defender Jefferson Diaz in the 68th minute, the Galaxy maintained their offensive momentum. Pec added a fourth goal in the 50th minute, navigating through multiple defenders before rolling the ball past the goalie. Both Paintsil and Joveljic sealed the game’s outcome with additional goals late in the match, scoring in the 86th and 89th minutes, respectively.

The Galaxy controlled 69.8% of the possession during the game, though both teams recorded 15 shots each. John McCarthy, the Galaxy goalie, made four saves, while St. Clair had three stops, including a notable diving save against Pec’s penalty kick in the 78th minute.