How the last four 4th of July games have gone for the LA Galaxy | OneFootball

This year marked the 30th regular season for Major League Soccer. In all but one season has there been a 4th of July game that featured the six-time champions in the league.

Since the league started in 1996, the Los Angeles Galaxy have taken the field 28 times on Independence Day. The lone year they did not was in 2020 during the COVID pandemic.

This Friday, the LA Galaxy will host the Vancouver Whitecaps in their 29th regular season game played on Independence Day. The last two times, the Galaxy have faced their cross-town rival in LAFC. This time, they will face off against a familiar MLS Western Conference foe.

But here, we will take a look at how these last four games played on the 4th of July have gone. The Los Angeles Galaxy have gone 2-0-2 in since 2021.

LA Galaxy vs. Sporting Kansas City (2021)

The six-time MLS Cup winners looked much different then. This was also the first year that the two-time MLS Champion and current Los Angeles Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney took over the team.

Jonathan Bond was in his first year with the LA Galaxy, too. The goalkeeper came from West Bromwich Albion to play stateside. This game was one of his 91 appearances with the Galaxy.

Unlike this year's 1-0 shutout loss the LA Galaxy suffered two months ago, Sporting Kansas City actually shot on target. They did so half the time (12 shot attempts).

The game started out with both teams pitching a shutout. Neither team could score, even midway through the first half. However, the rest of the game did not go in favor of the LA Galaxy.

Losing 2-0, Bond was unable to stop Johnny Russell's shot in the 81st minute in addition to Khiry Shelton's score five minutes into stoppage time of the second half. That would put the game beyond the reach of an Galaxy comeback.

The LA Galaxy held a slightly possession advantage in this one (53.9%). Unfortunately, of their seven shots on target, all of which were saved by Kansas City's keeper Tim Melia.

LA Galaxy vs. CF Montreal (2022)

This one went much better for the LA Galaxy. Instead of being on the receiving end of a shutout, the host team was able to pull off one of their one.

Javier Hernandez scored in the 8th minute off a pass from Efrain Alvarez. That would be all the LA Galaxy would need in this one. Yet, goals went off like fireworks in Carson, California this particular July 4th,

Dejan Joveljic was able to find the back of the net via a penalty kick during stoppage time of the first half. The Los Angeles Galaxy carried a 2-0 lead into halftime.

Then, Rayon Ravelson joined the offensive showcase by scoring twice. He connected on goals in the 60th minute as well as the 79th minute. Julian Araujo and Sacha Kjestan were credited with the assist, respectively.

CF Montreal had no answers for Jonathan Bond in goal. The LA Galaxy even held possession of the ball for a slim 38.3% of the time compared to 61.7% by their Canadian opponent.

Back-to-Back Matches Against LAFC in the Rose Bowl (2023 & 2024)

In terms of 2023, it was a relatively down here for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Much like this season.

The Galaxy won just eight games, as this one was surprisingly one of them. LAFC was fresh off winning the 2022 MLS Cup against the Philadelphia Union. Now with the Los Angeles Galaxy, veteran goalkeeper John McCarthy was the MVP in that championship game.

Losing 2-1 was not in the cards for LAFC. Tyler Boyd was easily the best player on the field for the LA Galaxy.

Not only did he score the game's first goal in the 26th minute, one of his precision passes led to Riqui Puig breaking the 1-1 tie in the 73rd minute. Boyd was a factor of both goals for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Ilie Sanchez's strike in the 57th minute prevented the shutout for LAFC. A year later, LAFC would get their revenge.

Technically, the only home loss for the Galaxy last year was on 4th of July

In 2024, the LA Galaxy went unbeaten in all 16 games played at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Like the previous year, the Independence Day game against LAFC was played in the Rose Bowl.

Kei Kamara opened up the scoring in this one as his goal in the 39th minute gave LAFC the early lead. Denis Bouanga doubled it up when he made his penalty kick five minutes later.

Had it not been for Gabriel Pec's goal early in the second half, the LA Galaxy would have been shutout for the second time in four years during games played on the 4th of July.

The Los Angeles Galaxy may not be as popular as the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League or the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. Even So, the LA Galaxy have the most titles in MLS.

The fifth Independence Day game for the Los Angeles Galaxy will be this Friday against one of the MLS Western Conference's top teams in the Vancouver Whitecaps. The Galaxy lost 2-1 to the Whitecaps in the second game of the season. The rematch will be on the 4th of July.