Major League Soccer Regular Season - 1

Los Angeles Galaxy 1 - 1 FT New York City FC

Dignity Health Sports Park

Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching

Futmetrix Verdict
61
FT
Mon, Feb 23
Los Angeles Galaxy
1-1
New York City FC
⚡ Intensity 55
⚖️ Balance 44
🏆 Stakes 44
🎲 Upset 30
Red card chaos rescues New York.

VAR Drama and Red Card Chaos Force a Stalemate

Worth Watching Futmetrix Score: 61/100. An explosive early strike gave way to second-half VAR controversy as ten-man Los Angeles held off a relentless New York barrage.

The Early Strike

The Dignity Health Sports Park crowd barely had time to settle into their seats before Los Angeles Galaxy blew the game wide open. In just the second minute, Joao Klauss found the back of the net with a clinical finish, setting an immediate tone of high Intensity. Despite sitting lower in the regular season standings, the tenth-place hosts looked determined to pull off a statement victory against high-flying New York City FC. The Eastern Conference visitors, shell-shocked by the sudden early breakthrough, struggled to translate their massive 64 percent possession into meaningful first-half chances. The Galaxy sat deep in a disciplined shape, absorbing the pressure and frustrating their opponents while clinging fiercely to their fragile one-goal advantage as the halftime whistle blew.

The Turning Point

The entire complexion of this matchup changed in a chaotic four-minute spell midway through the second half. The Balance of power violently shifted when the referee paused the action, relying on a 62nd-minute VAR review to confirm a crucial penalty call. Before the spot-kick could even be taken, the drama escalated. Carlos Garcés was shown a straight red card for a costly foul, instantly reducing the Galaxy to ten men. Stepping up to the spot amid deafening jeers from the home crowd, N. Mercau buried the penalty with pure confidence in the 66th minute. That breathless sequence completely erased the home side's early momentum, neutralized their tactical setup, and immediately handed the keys of the game back to the visiting squad.

Holding the Line

Armed with a numerical advantage and a precious tying goal secured, New York City FC pushed relentlessly for a late winner, racking up an impressive 620 total passes. Yet, the Stakes were simply too high for Los Angeles to fold under the pressure. The ten-man hosts dug in defensively with everything they had, incredibly limiting the visitors to just a single shot on target all night—the penalty kick itself. Although the Galaxy missed out on capturing a vital three points to climb the table, surviving the final twenty-five minutes down a man felt like a moral victory. For NYCFC, escaping with a draw keeps them cemented near the top of the standings, though they will surely rue their inability to capitalize on total field control.

Key Questions

How did the red card for Carlos Garcés impact the match?

His 64th-minute dismissal reduced the Galaxy to ten men, directly leading to the penalty equalizer and forcing Los Angeles into a deep defensive block to survive.

What made Nicolás Fernández the Man of the Match?

Fernández drove the New York attack, successfully converting the crucial 66th-minute penalty and delivering two key passes to earn an impressive 8.5 rating.

What is the Futmetrix Score?

The Futmetrix Score is our 0-100 verdict on how entertaining a match is. We look at intensity, balance, stakes, and star quality to tell you if it's worth your time.

Match Statistics

Possession
36%
64%
Los Angeles Galaxy 36%
New York City FC 64%
Shots
8
10
Los Angeles Galaxy 8
New York City FC 10
Shots on Target
6
1
Los Angeles Galaxy 6
New York City FC 1
Expected Goals (xG)
0.36
1.35
Los Angeles Galaxy 0.36
New York City FC 1.35
Passes
348
620
Los Angeles Galaxy 348
New York City FC 620
Pass Accuracy
77%
88%
Los Angeles Galaxy 77%
New York City FC 88%
Corners
1
2
Los Angeles Galaxy 1
New York City FC 2
Fouls
15
16
Los Angeles Galaxy 15
New York City FC 16
Yellow Cards
3
3
Los Angeles Galaxy 3
New York City FC 3
Red Cards
1
0
Los Angeles Galaxy 1
New York City FC 0

Match Events

2' Joao Klauss
36' 🟨 Carlos Garcés
Tayvon Gray 🟨 42'
HT
Kai Trewin 🟨 56'
59' 🟨 Julián Aude
64' 🟨 Carlos Garcés
64' 🟥 Carlos Garcés
N. Mercau 66'
67' 🔄 J. Aude J. Nelson
67' 🔄 M. Reus M. Yoshida
A. O'Neill K. Parks 🔄 74'
T. Gray D. Baiera 🔄 80'
Keaton Parks 🟨 86'
88' 🔄 Joao Klauss Matheus Nascimento
H. Wolf Talles Magno 🔄 88'
K. Trewin J. Shore 🔄 88'
FT

Player Cards

Our take on every player in this match

Los Angeles Galaxy

Goalkeepers
N. Micovic
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
M. Yamane
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
J. Glesnes
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
C. Garces
FRIENDLY FIRE
FRIENDLY FIRE
Red Card
Mistake
Red Card
Mistake
2
Fouls
5.6
Rating
J. Aude
WALL
WALL
0
Dribbled Past
0
Dribbled Past
4
Tackles
67%
Duel Win %
Midfielders
J. Haak
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
L. Sanabria
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Gabriel Pec
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
M. Reus
PROVOCATEUR
PROVOCATEUR
3
Fouls Won
3
Fouls Won
3
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
J. Paintsil
PROVOCATEUR
PROVOCATEUR
3
Fouls Won
3
Fouls Won
5
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
Forwards
Joao Klauss
SNIPER
SNIPER
100%
Conversion
100%
Conversion
1
Goals
1
Shots
BENCH
J. Marcinkowski
SPECTATOR
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
J. Nelson
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
23
Total Mins
Started
Entry
M. Cuevas
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
H. Miller
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
M. Yoshida
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
23
Total Mins
Started
Entry
T. Lepley
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
R. Ramos
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Matheus Nascimento
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
10
Total Mins
Started
Entry

New York City FC

Goalkeepers
M. Freese
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
T. Gray
WALL
WALL
0
Dribbled Past
0
Dribbled Past
3
Tackles
78%
Duel Win %
Thiago Martins
MAGNET
MAGNET
96
Activity
96
Activity
95
Passes
1
Duels
Raul Gustavo
MAGNET
MAGNET
86
Activity
86
Activity
80
Passes
6
Duels
K. O'Toole
STORMTROOPER
STORMTROOPER
1
Shots
1
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
Midfielders
A. O'Neill
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
74
Total Mins
74
Entry
K. Trewin
MAGNET
MAGNET
75
Activity
75
Activity
66
Passes
9
Duels
A. Ojeda
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
M. Moralez
PROVOCATEUR
PROVOCATEUR
3
Fouls Won
3
Fouls Won
3
Duels Won
0
Pens Won
H. Wolf
STORMTROOPER
STORMTROOPER
2
Shots
2
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
Forwards
N. Mercau
MAGNET
MAGNET
57
Activity
57
Activity
37
Passes
20
Duels
BENCH
T. Romero
SPECTATOR
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
D. Baiera
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
10
Total Mins
Started
Entry
S. Tanasijevic
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
N. Cavallo
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
K. Parks
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
16
Total Mins
Started
Entry
J. Shore
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
10
Total Mins
Started
Entry
M. Carrizo
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Talles Magno
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
10
Total Mins
Started
Entry
S. Reid
LATE SHIFT
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry

Head to Head

Date Home Score Away Competition Venue
01/27/2025 Los Angeles Galaxy 0 - 2 New York City FC Friendlies Clubs Dignity Health Sports Park
06/20/2024 Los Angeles Galaxy 2 - 0 New York City FC Major League Soccer Dignity Health Sports Park
02/14/2024 New York City FC 2 - 2 Los Angeles Galaxy Friendlies Clubs TBC
02/05/2023 Los Angeles Galaxy 1 - 2 New York City FC Friendlies Clubs Dignity Health Sports Park
02/27/2022 Los Angeles Galaxy 1 - 0 New York City FC Major League Soccer Dignity Health Sports Park
05/11/2019 Los Angeles Galaxy 0 - 2 New York City FC Major League Soccer StubHub Center
03/11/2018 New York City FC 2 - 1 Los Angeles Galaxy Major League Soccer Yankee Stadium
08/13/2017 Los Angeles Galaxy 0 - 2 New York City FC Major League Soccer StubHub Center
01/27/2025
Friendlies Clubs Dignity Health Sports Park
06/20/2024
Major League Soccer Dignity Health Sports Park
02/14/2024
Friendlies Clubs TBC
02/05/2023
Friendlies Clubs Dignity Health Sports Park
02/27/2022
Major League Soccer Dignity Health Sports Park
05/11/2019
Major League Soccer StubHub Center
03/11/2018
Major League Soccer Yankee Stadium
08/13/2017
Major League Soccer StubHub Center
Los Angeles Galaxy Win
New York City FC Win
Draw

League Standings