The Galaxy struck while the stadium was (extremely) hot, with captain Marco Reus scoring in the 9th minute after Gabriel Pec masterfully eluded one defender, then threaded a needle to Reus, who barely had to redirect it for the goal.
The home team would take that lead into the half, but in the 60th, Orlando tied it up when Martín Ojeda swatted an errant pass into the back of the net.
The lead didn’t last long, as seven minutes later L.A. picked off an Orlando pass. It was quickly flicked to Joseph Paintsil, who only needed one touch to send it from outside the box into the far corner, the Galaxy back on top for good.
In the Championship game between the Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami, Seattle appropriately concluded their tournament dominance with a 3-0 victory over the visitors.
The Sounders scored in the 26th minute, but were quiet until the closing minutes of the game, when Alex Roldán converted a PK in the 84th, and Paul Rothrock put it away in the 89th.
L.A., Seattle, and Miami all earn automatic bids into the Concacaf Champions Cup, with a chance to represent the Confederation at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Credit: Jim Sabo
