Gabriel Pec and Riqui Puig Shine as LA Galaxy Defeat Vancouver Whitecaps 4-2

CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Gabriel Pec scored a goal and provided two assists, while Riqui Puig added a goal and an assist on Saturday night as the LA Galaxy defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 4-2.

Vancouver (13-9-7) defender Ranko Veselinović attempted to clear the ball from the Galaxy’s Dejan Joveljic near the corner of the 6-yard box, but Pec intercepted the loose ball and scored with a one-touch shot in the 35th minute to put LA up 1-0.
The Galaxy (17-7-7) extended their lead to 2-0 thanks to an own goal by Vancouver’s Sebastian Berhalter in the 50th minute. However, Brian White responded for the Whitecaps in the 63rd minute, converting a pass from Berhalter.
In the 69th minute, Pec made a key play, slipping behind the defense to collect a long ball from Puig and then delivering a precise cross to Joseph Paintsil, who finished from close range into an open net, restoring LA’s two-goal advantage.
Puig capped the Galaxy’s scoring in the third minute of stoppage time, finding the net on a pass from Pec to make it 4-1. Vancouver’s Sam Adekugbe, a 29-year-old defender in his seventh MLS season, concluded the match by scoring his first MLS goal about four minutes later.
With this victory, LA made history as the first team in MLS to have four players score at least 10 goals in a single season: Joveljic (14), Pec (13), Puig (11), and Paintsil (10).