LA Galaxy (2W-3D-4L) concluded their two-game road trip with a 2-1 loss against the Columbus Crew on April 22 at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.
Injuries have been the story for the Galaxy’s 2026 MLS campaign, with the team going into the match without João Klauss (foot), Matheus Nascimento (thigh), and Erik Thommy (thigh).
With veteran players going down, starting lineup opportunities are bound to open up for new arrivals and homegrown players.
19-year-old LA Galaxy forward Ruben Ramos Jr. earned his first start of the 2026 season against the Crew, marking the second start of his Galaxy career overall.
"Obviously, the injuries are unfortunate, one after another, but whoever's next man up has to be ready for the opportunity and just have a great mentality to go into the games, get points, and play strong for the team,” Ramos Jr said.
The absence of a front-line defensive presence stemmed from the loss of top striker Klauss, who is sidelined long-term after suffering an injury against FC Dallas last weekend.
“[João] will undergo surgery and he will be out until after the World Cup,” LA Galaxy Head Coach Greg Vanney said. “It’s not broken, it’s a ligament in the foot.”
The Brazilian forward scored five goals in eight MLS regular-season match appearances.
The Galaxy’s struggle to play out from the back against the Crew’s high press did not help, considering the number of injuries the team has faced so early this season.
“We have to match the intensity and speed of the pressing team,” Vanney said. “Today, I felt like we were behind it. There's times when we're walking and need to be jogging, times when we're jogging and need to be sprinting.”
LA trailed 2-0 for most of the second half after conceding in the 40th minute to Dániel Gazdag and again two minutes into the second half to Diego Rossi.
Without Klauss’ signature pick-pocket and securing second-chance ball abilities on the pitch, LA showed no signs of keeping up with a Columbus squad that went into the match with only one win in MLS competition this season.
“We have to be able to move faster, anticipate more, and be cleaner under pressure in certain situations,” Vanney said. “When we did break their press early on, we just didn't have enough of a threat for them to be too mindful of how many guys they were sending to press us."
Galaxy forward Gabriel Pec’s goal in the 86th minute served as the team’s only shot on target for the entirety of the match.
With Pec’s goal, the club extended its scoring streak to 18 consecutive matches, the longest active scoring streak in MLS.
The Brazilian forward has now scored seven goals across all competitions and tallied 11 goal contributions overall.
LA’s Joseph Paintsi snuck a through ball towards Pec, leading to a first-time right-footed finish to cut the deficit in half.
The Ghanaian forward recorded his third goal contribution in the last two matches since returning from injury.
After finally breaking through the Crew’s defensive unit with less than five minutes of regulation, the Galaxy’s sudden burst of intensity put the team in the position to nearly secure a point on the road.
The Galaxy nearly equalized the match after a left-footed shot from Pec hit the crossbar in the 89th minute.
Despite Pec’s late heroic efforts, the Galaxy’s final push was not enough, leading to the team traveling back home with only one point from their two-game road trip.
The Galaxy will return home to host Real Salt Lake on Sunday, April 26, at 6:00 p.m. CST.
