Galaxy hold off Real Salt Lake

CARSON — A double dose of Marco Reus added up to a much-needed Galaxy win Sunday.

Reus, who has been one of the few consistent bright spots this season, opened the scoring early in the first half and converted a second-half penalty in the 85th minute and the Galaxy (3-4-3, 12 points) held on for a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake in front of 19,773 at Dignity Health Sports Park Sunday.

“Massive for a lot of reasons,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said of the importance of the win. “Obviously, just the last couple of results at home haven’t been what we wanted, we know or expected, so that’s one. Two, it’s just been a grind for the group, right? 15-16 games, 22,300 miles that we’ve traveled since the start of the season. Guys have given everything, in my opinion and to just kind of dig as deep as they did today, to get that one across the line, is massive for that locker room and for those guys.

“I wish we’d have made it a little easier for ourselves in the first half.”

With the game tied and things looking ominous for the Galaxy, Elijah Wynder was held on a cross into the box. Referee Victor Rivas pointed to the penalty spot. The foul was confirmed by video review and Reus stepped up and converted.

“This was huge,” Reus said of the win. “We were struggling at home very much and today, to win it in this way, and I think from the first half, we deserve to win this game because we was coming out with a different mentality.

“I told the guys that we just can’t go out and just play. We have to play dirty at some point; in different situations on the field, we did it, especially in the first half. I think we could have scored more goals, because we were creating, we was very aggressive, second half, the energy goes down a little bit and then we was not struggling, but we were always aware of situations where they could be dangerous. And at the end, it was just a mental, mental win.

“What I care about is winning. I don’t care if I score, I don’t care if I give assist. I just care about my team to win games. That’s why I’m here.”

Reus said before the penalty, both Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil said they wanted to take the penalty kick. Reus overruled them.

Reus opened the scoring on a perfectly placed free kick in the ninth minute.

“The reality of it is Marco (Reus) is our quality when it comes to setting up final actions in our midfield stuff like that,” Vanney said. “The other guys are grinders. They’re hard workers. They’re facilitators of the game, but Marco is the creative guy who sees something different, who has the technique and all those things to get Joe (Joseph Paintsil) and Gabe (Gabriel Pec) and guys hopefully in scoring positions and he’s been getting some himself because obviously his experience and knowledge and understanding of space and where to go.

“For us, he just brings something that nobody else on the field brings for us, and we need that. I think it elevates the opportunities for Joe and Gabe and it helps in our midfield to gives us something that is an experience that I don’t think we have with the rest of the group.”

The Galaxy nearly got to halftime with a 1-0 lead, but as has been the case, things went awry late. Aiden Hezarkhani was able to beat Jakob Glesnes on the left wing before crossing to an open Zavier Gozo. Gozo’s shot hit the post, but the rebound went into the goal off Galaxy goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski’s back. It went in the books as own goal.

“I thought it was a pretty good header by me into my own goal,” Marcinkowski joked. “That’s just the way it goes as a goalkeeper.”

Marcinkowski was credited with eight saves.

The Galaxy also escaped a potentially disastrous moment earlier in the first half. Gozo was in behind Garces. Garces caught up, but appeared to bring him down. Referee Victor Rivas didn’t rule a foul, but the play was eventually checked by video review for a possible “denial of a goal-scoring opportunity,” which would have left the Galaxy with 10 men.

“A few of our performances at home this year haven’t been up to par and have not been enough,” Marcinkowski said. “So it was nice just to be able to find a way to win. It wasn’t necessarily the prettiest game, by any means, but we kind of knew that going in with the way that Salt Lake plays and the way they set up their team.”

The Galaxy will be back in action Saturday with another Western Conference test against the Vancouver Whitecaps, starting a three-game, 11-day stretch, which includes trips to Atlanta United and Sporting Kansas City.