Following his first-half hat trick in the LA Galaxy’s 4-1 win over Sporting Kansas City at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday night, forward Joseph Paintsil has been named to the MLS Team of the Matchday for Matchday 37.
Paintsil’s hat trick is the first of his MLS and Galaxy career and marks just the third time that a Galaxy player has scored a first-half hat trick (Robbie Keane – May 26, 2013, and Alejandro Moreno – May 19, 2004). His MLS Team of the Matchday inclusion is his second of the year, with the first coming after his brace against the Vancouver Whitecaps on July 4.
Paintsil got off the mark quickly against SKC, scoring his first goal in the 4th minute, curling in a shot from the left side of the box after a set play from a corner kick made its way back to the left from a first-time ball from Mauricio Cuevas. He scored his second in the 25th minute after 18-year-old Harbor Miller crossed the ball into the box from the left wing before Paintsil buried the shot from the top of the six-yard-box. He capped off his hat trick in the 43rd minute from another Cuevas assist from the right wing, leading to Paintsil finishing off the play at the back post from close range. Paintsil also earned a secondary assist on Diego Fagundez's second-half goal.
Paintsil now leads the club with nine (9) MLS goals this season from 23 games (20 starts).
F: Dor Turgeman (NE), Son Heung-Min (LAFC), Joseph Paintsil (LA)
M: Indiana Vassilev (PHI), Nectarios Triantis (MIN), Braian Ojeda (RSL), Dante Sealy (MTL)
D: Andrew Gutman (CHI), Thiago Martins (NYC), Alex Freeman (ORL)
GK: Sean Johnson (TOR)
Coach: Pascal Jansen (NYC)
Bench: Pedro Gallese (ORL), Artem Smolyakov (LAFC), Andy Najar (NSH), Albert Rusnák (SEA), Diego Luna (RSL), Milan Iloski (PHI), Mikael Uhre (PHI), Petar Musa (DAL), Josef Martínez (SJ)
