Next up, LA Galaxy square off against LAFC in 26th all-time edition of El Tráfico at BMO Stadium on Saturday, July 19 at 7:30 p.m. PT on MLS Season Pass
LOS ANGELES (Wednesday, July 16, 2025) – Continuing their 2025 MLS Regular Season campaign, the LA Galaxy fell 2-1 at home to Austin FC at Dignity Health Sports Park on Wednesday night. Next up, the Galaxy square off against LAFC in the 26th all-time edition of El Tráfico at BMO Stadium on Saturday, July 19 (7:30 p.m. PT; MLS Season Pass).
LA Galaxy Against Austin FC
Wednesday’s match marked the 10th MLS regular season meeting between the Galaxy and Austin FC, with LA leading the all-time series 5-4-1. In two meetings between the two teams during the 2025 campaign, the LA Galaxy held a record of 0-2-0. In five all-time league matches played against Austin at Dignity Health Sports Park, the Galaxy hold a record of 4-1-0.
Goal-Scoring Plays
ATX – Myrto Uzuni (Diego Rubio), 40th minute: Myrto Uzuni received a pass at the top of the box, took a touch and his left-footed shot was curled into the far corner.
ATX – Owen Wolff (Myrto Uzuni), 63rd minute: Following a loose ball inside the box, Owen Wolff was first to the ball, avoided a tackle and fired his shot from the center of the area into the back of the net.
LA – Joseph Paintsil (Penalty Kick), 90+3rd minute: After getting pulled down inside the penalty area, Joseph Paintsil stepped up to the spot and drilled his penalty-kick effort into the bottom left corner of the goal.
Postgame Notes
- Wednesday’s match marked the 10th MLS regular season meeting between the Galaxy and Austin FC, with LA leading the all-time series 5-4-1.
- In two meetings between the two teams during the 2025 campaign, the LA Galaxy held a record of 0-2-0.
- In five all-time league matches played against Austin at Dignity Health Sports Park, the Galaxy hold a record of 4-1-0.
- In their last seven matches played dating back to May 31, the LA Galaxy hold a record of 3-2-2 (12 GF, 9 GA).
- Joseph Paintsil tallied his fifth goal in 18 games played across all competitions during the 2025 campaign in the match against Austin.
- In 28 career matches played at Dignity Health Sports Park across all competitions, Paintsil has recorded 14 goals and nine assists.
- Diego Fagundez and Julián Aude both made their 50th career start across all competitions in the match against Austin FC.
Next Game
Next up, the LA Galaxy travel to face LAFC in the 26th all-time edition of El Tráfico at BMO Stadium on Saturday, July 19 (7:30 p.m. PT; MLS Season Pass).
2025 MLS Regular Season
LA Galaxy (3-14-6, 15 pts) vs. Austin FC (8-8-6; 30 pts)
Saturday, July 16, 2025 – Dignity Health Sports Park (Los Angeles)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
LA Galaxy 0 1 1
Austin FC 1 1 2
Scoring Summary:
ATX: Uzuni (Rubio), 40
ATX: Wolff (Uzui), 63
LA: Paintsil (Penalty Kick), 90+3
Misconduct Summary:
LA: Cerrillo (caution), 3
LA: Aude (caution), 11
ATX: Biro (caution), 44
ATX: Bukari (caution), 52
ATX: Stuver (caution), 62
Lineups:
LA: GK Novak Mićović; D Miki Yamane, D Zanka, D Maya Yoshida © (Mauricio Cuevas, 85), D Julián Aude (John Nelson, 38); M Edwin Cerrillo (Isaiah Parente, 73), M Diego Fagundez (Lucas Sanabria, 73), M Marco Reus (Christian Ramirez, 85), F Gabriel Pec, F Joseph Paintsil, F Matheus Nascimento
Substitutes Not Used: GK John McCarthy; D Emiro Garcés, M Tucker Lepley, F Miguel Berry
TOTAL SHOTS: 15 (Gabriel Pec, 8); SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (Gabriel Pec, Joseph Paintsil, 2); FOULS: 12 (Gabriel Pec, 3); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 8; SAVES: 3
ATX: GK Brad Stuver; D Mikkel Desler, D Brendan Hines-Ike, D Oleksandr Svatok (Julio Cascante, 85), D Guilherme Biro; M Ilie Sanchez © (Besard Sabovic, 81), M Dani Pereira, M Osman Bukari (Jader Obrian, 90+5), M Owen Wolff (Robert Taylor, 81); F Myrto Uzuni (CJ Fodrey, 90+6), F Diego Rubio (Jon Gallagher, 62)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Stefan Cleveland; D Zan Kolmanic; Nicolas Dubersarsky
TOTAL SHOTS: 7 (Myrto Uzuni, Owen Wolff, 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (Myrto Uzuni, Owen Wolff, 2); FOULS: 17 (Mikkel Desler, 4); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 2; SAVES: 3
Referee: Ricardo Fierro
Assistant Referees: Chris Elliot, Diego Blas
Fourth Official: Trevor Wiseman
VAR: Kevin Stott
Weather: Clear, 67 degrees
Attendance: 16,272
*
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial*
LA GALAXY POSTGAME QUOTES
LA GALAXY HEAD COACH GREG VANNEY
On the start to the game and why the refs were looking at the balls:
“Weird start. The game sort of lacked intensity in the early part with the stop-start. Everybody, all the players were complaining, if you will, and stopping because they felt like the balls were flat, they weren't firm enough. So it was both teams that were feeling that way, so soon as the guy or two hit the ball they would stop it and wanted to change the balls. We tried several. I don't think in the end they actually put any air in the balls. I think we just got on with it. They tested the pressure. They said it was 14. I don't know what it's supposed to be exactly. I think ultimately we just got on with it. But it took a little while to get there. I don't know if that had all the affect, but I just felt like the game started flat and carried on flat until some point in the second half I thought the intensity started to show and started to seem like a game that really kind of matter. It took us in my opinion a little bit too long to get there. It was a big game for us tonight and I feel like we needed to come here and try to impose ourselves on the game and show the value of the game. It took us too long and two soft goals before I felt like we really got there. Again, we missed a number of chances, so it was our formula where we give up soft goals and we don't finish off our opportunities and at the end of the day we leave very frustrated. That was the day again for us.”
On how a game in July shouldn't have much of meaning in the season but it does right now and then ends in this result:
“It's the facts of the situation. You know, we were playing a team that was in the 9th spot and it's a Western Conference game. We have momentum a little bit on our side after playing two home games and two wins and coming with a third, and it was important, again, that we come out and try to establish -- both teams will be tired. It's the middle of the week. It's normal. You just kind of fight and get going, and, yeah, took us a little while to get going. Sometimes that can happen but you can't give up goals working through that process. Again, thought our lines got a little too far apart there a few time and they played through us pretty easily in that first goal. Then we're down 1-0. Wanted to see more of a reaction. I think we saw a reaction later, but I wanted to see more of a reaction. Came out in the second half. Thought we had a good start to the second half. Had a chance or two right off the bat to equalize; weren't able to do it. The second goal was borderline ridiculous and not exactly sure. Kind of felt like Zanka was trying to shield it. He could have cleared it but he was kind of waiting for Novak. Novak was thinking he was going to clear it, then he decides to come to the ball; doesn't come with real conviction. In the end it gets poked away and ends up in the back of our net. Just, again, a situation we need to take control and ownership of. It's frustrating, yeah on a day -- based on the position where we are every game is meaningful. Doesn't matter where or when it is or anything. It's unfortunate. Now we have to find probably a difficult place to play along the way where we got to make up these points if we want to stay in this thing, because today was an opportunity to try to get right back into it. We still had a lot of work to do and that was a missed opportunity.”
- On how do you get rid of this one and look forward to Saturday:*
"Yeah, if nothing else, I hope and I said this in the locker room, the lesson of the day is we're a much better team when we play with the right level of intensity, and I think when we get there, we're a good team and hard to play against. When we live in this moderate intensity space we're vulnerable. So hopefully it's a reminder again that you can't go to LAFC and be in the middle ground intensity-wise. You got to show up with maximum intensity. Everybody knows that and looks forward to this game. They know what's at stake. So I think guys have to shake it off and turn around. Doesn't matter what happened yesterday or what's going to happen tomorrow. It's going to be about Saturday and that 90 minutes. Our guys been around long enough to know that. Tonight was a missed opportunity, but we got to move forward. In that locker room by the time we left there was a lot of focus on what's in front of them.”
- On if the first yellow card impacted Edwin’s play and the team's play as well:*
"Yeah, I think -- any time you're on the yellow card, especially that early in the game it's going to modify some your thought process to your decisions. So I was -- if he wouldn't have settled down I was ready to change him at halftime. Towards the end of the first half he fell into the rhythm of the game and that I could trust him for a little longer in the game, because I think he's an important piece for us. But, yeah, any time you get a card that early it changes the way you play. Even you saw Biro, once he got his yellow card he wouldn't get close to Gabe. Just kept backing off and trying to win time. So it does impact the way you play the game. For Eddie it did. After a few minutes he kind of resettled back in. There is definitely some moments that he jumped out of some tackles or off pulled out some things where he could have fouled a guy just because he maybe would've stopped a transition because probably would've taken a yellow in there, so definitely changed this game.”
On Julián’s injury status:
“I don't know exactly. I know obviously we made the sub for concussion safety reasons. It was a head injury and he got hit kind of in the side of face so it's kind of swollen on his cheek. I haven't heard if they really established he had a concussion or if we were just being safe about it. I don't know exactly yet.”
On if he encourages Paintsil to attack his defenders 1v1:
"Yeah, again, as it relates to Joe, I never want him to slow down. I want Joe to stay at speed, whether that's picking up the ball and running at somebody or if he decides to lay it off quickly and take off or run behind the lines. The faster and the more direct Joe's game is the more difficult he is to defend, so I always want him building speed. I felt like he had the fullback on skates a bit today. Then it was matter of how are the attacks going to finish in terms of whether it was his decisions or our movements or things to turn some of those opportunities into chances. But I thought he was aggressive in the way we need him to be aggressive over the course the night. Gabe was aggressive too. Just didn't take the chances. But I thought both of them were trying to attack the game appropriately. Just it comes down to execution in that final action.”
On the decision to start Zanka over Emiro:
"Yeah, it was a calculation to make a rotation. Emiro is sitting on four yellow cards at the moment. It's a calculation with three games in the week knowing also we play LAFC and they have Bouanga on the side that you have to defend. It's a little bit of a calculation of trying to protect him in some ways, hoping that our two veteran center backs can hold the fort down in a game like tonight at home against a team that's missing their primary forward, and we didn't do it. So the calculation was wrong and that's the facts.”
On if he saw the handball in the 55th minute:
"I only saw it live. I haven't seen it in replay. The guys on the bench were like, ‘definitely, handball.’ There are certain things that very much confuse me in the game. Handball is one of those. I got more confused watching the World Cup, Club World Cup [Gold Cup] final. More than I was before I watched that. I don't know. I would have to see it back again. I mean, seemed like we were on a pretty good attack and his hand stopped the attack. Yeah, I don't know. I wish we would've got the call. I don't know. The rule confuses me. I feel like one day it's one way and the other day it's the other.”
On if it was a brace or a handball:
"Yeah, yeah, I think if you're on the ground and you're a brace maybe that's one thing. If your arm is not on the ground and you block it? But evidently if you put your hand on top of the ball that's also not a handball. We saw that in the Gold Cup final. I don't know all the ins and outs on that.”
LA GALAXY MIDFIELDER EDWIN CERRILLO
On how much the pace of the game and the yellow card impacted him:
“The stop and start, it's stop and start for both teams, so the goal comes from the stoppage and then we're kind of just not -- kind of on our heels and that play happens. It's happened before and those moments we need to turn on and we didn't. As for me, the yellow card, getting it so early, I'm cautious on the next foul, especially early on. It's my game to kind of impose and get into people's faces. That limits a little bit of what I can do. Every game is important for us right now, and I can't afford to get another yellow card. Having to go to LAFC on Saturday, so it's a lot of things that I have to process through my head in a matter of seconds in the game. It limits me. Yeah, a lot of stop and start. Slowed the game down. But we have to be ready when the game gets going.”
LA GALAXY FORWARD JOSEPH PAINTSIL
On if the night’s match was a missed opportunity before facing LAFC this weekend:
“Yeah, I think first off there was like not too much intensity from our side. We had some small mistakes that led to the chances also that they had. It's a little bit disappointing, but, yeah, this is football. We just need to take it and just work towards it and just face what has happened today, put it away, and focus on Saturday. That's the most important thing because this is like a cracker game that's LAFC and LA Galaxy really, really want those points. This is something we have to put the negativity and whatever happens today apart and just focus on Saturday. That's the most important thing. I hope that the team will turn around from there.”
On the lack of intensity of the game and start and stop pace:
“Yeah, it's one of these games, you know. Sometimes it's not always going to be always like going hard, hard, hard. Sometimes it's one of these games and we just have to always put in our mind that whenever we are playing at home we need to really go all out. But as you can see, it's not going to be always the same game, like the two games we won. Sometimes the body language, you know, some players have the body language; others also have it. All we need to do is come together and just raise each and every one up and just fight to the end no matter what happens. As we know, this is football. Anything can happen. Yeah, we won against the second place and they also won against us. We will take it, but it's really disappointing that we couldn't go three in a row. But it's something that we need to take and just focus on the next game.”
On if the team left three points on the table:
“Yeah, I think we should have had these three points for ourselves, but this is something that you cannot dictate. This is something that you cannot predict. It's football and they're also here to win and also here to play and also here to find a result for themselves. We are also fighting for us to also win, but unfortunately at the end of the game that's the most important thing. We couldn't have the three points. We try to come back but it was a little bit late for us. We have to focus and never let this happen and just, yeah, be the men we have always been since last year, and even when things are not going on well I'm always having the positive mindset that no matter what, we still keep going.”
On if he’s disappointed in the number of goals he’s scored this season:
“I'm not disappointed in myself. Like I said, every season is always a different season. All I need to do is just to keep going. We have more games to go. Who knows? I can score more goals. Gabriel Pec can also score more goals. Things can change so quickly. As you can see, even last year even the team that was really in the last place or last two, someone was even having like 15 goes or something. So the goals right now is important, but really not important for us. The most important thing is for us to get the three point. Whoever scores I don't really mind. If I score, kudos. If Gabriel scores. If the defender scores. The most important thing is us to come together and win the game. Even we win the game and I don't score, even ten matches and I don't score and we keep winning, that's what we are always working for and what we have to do. I am a strong guy and I always focus on giving all my best, no matter how the negativity and the pressure and everything. I just need to focus on LA Galaxy. Whatever happens I need to play my heart out. Whatever happens we leave it to God. He will just do the rest.”
On if he’s given up some attacking output to give a more defensive effort in recent matches:
“Yeah, I would say it's something that we have to do as an offensive player. We don't need to leave it for only the defenders. As you can see, if you defend together, work together, is always result in a perfect ending game. We tried, I tried, Gabriel tried. Like I said, it's always like this. Anything can happen. I'll always do my best like I said, track back. Sometimes I feel tired tracking back and going forward again. My main task is always be always offensive. But now at this point of time we just have to focus on defending and attacking. That's the most important thing. Where we are now is not really LA Galaxy, so each and every player needs to step up, even if we have to defend and defend together. We all go attack, attack together. It doesn't matter. We just need to do what the coach said. I have to also help my defenders any time I'm in that position. For me it's a plus. I'm also working on it. It will also lead me in the long run for me even in the next season and the few games to come because most of coaches always says we don't defend. So if we do this kind of things they have nothing to about us and we have to take our chances and keep going and just try our best no matter what.”
On his competition with the right-back tonight:
"I think the first half he was really having a lot of confidence because I lost a few balls in my legs, so he was really having a lot of confidence. But, yeah, I told myself to just keep going and just make him think twice, like I always do, always have to run behind him. That's the most important thing, because that's my energy. That's what I am really capable of. As you can see, when they have the chances they don't really -- cannot even run with me. They always tell me, why I'm always running too much. It's just part of me and I cannot stop it. I just need to keep going. Yeah, even the next game against LAFC I have to do the same thing and just help the result. So I will just always do my possible best. Take one against one. Try. No matter how feel I feel, I still need to keep trying and keep going. That's the mindset of a player who always wants to learn and always want to come out like a better player. For me I will always do what I have to do. Take on defenders.”
