BOX SCORE
CARSON, Calif.A little bit of stoppage-time magic helped the Union beat the Los Angeles Galaxy for the first time in franchise history.
Wednesday night at the Home Depot Center, Michael Farfan and Jack McInerney scored two of the best goals of the season to lead the Union to a stunning 2-1 victory over the defending champs.
The game-winner came in the games final minutes after Lionard Pajoy made a stunning pass to Farfan, who slipped one past Galaxy goalkeeper Josh Saunders to snap a 1-1 tie.
Earlier, during stoppage time of the first half, Farfan danced around a defender, got the ball to the end line and played a sharp cross along the grass. Then, McInerney, heavily covered and with his back to goal, managed to put a delicious backheel on the ball, which trickled past Saunders and into the net.
Moments later, the whistle blew and the Union went into the locker room with a 1-0 leada remarkable development considering just how many scoring chances the Galaxy had through the first 45 minutes.
Somehow, Irish international Robbie Keanewhos scored for 10 different clubs during a long and illustrious careerwas stopped on three shots from point-blank range, twice by Union defenders.
In the fifth minute, Philadelphia captain Carlos Valds saved a Keane shot after the Irishman somehow slipped between a pair of Union defenders. And in the 11th minute, left back Gabriel Farfan did the same thing, using part of his body to keep the game scoreless.
Union goalkeeper Zac MacMath also had a huge first half, making a big save on Hector Jimenez in the fifth minute and then stopping Keane in the 25th minute, before a mad scramble in the box began. MacMath also did very well catching or punching away corner kicks and crosses.
The Galaxy picked up where they left off early in the second half when David Junior Lopez headed one off the crossbar in the 60th minute.
Finally, in the 73rd minute, the hosts got on the board when sub Chad Barrett finished off a cross that squirted through a few different players in the box.
Union super-sub Antoine Hoppenot nearly put the Union back ahead in the 77th minute after making a long run into the box, but Saunders came up with the save on his shot attempt.
Both teams continued to press and create scoring chances but neither could break the 1-1 deadlockuntil Farfan delivered the game-winner.
The Galaxy (6-10-2) are now 3-1-1 all-time against the Union (4-9-2). The two teams dont play each other again this season.
The Union return to action Sunday with a 4 p.m. home game against Toronto FC, the only team behind them in the Eastern Conference Standings.
Dave Zeitlin covers the Union for CSNPhilly.com and MLSsoccer.com. E-mail him at djzeitlin@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter at @DaveZeitlin.