Recap, Match Day 21: LA Galaxy wins 3-0 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps on Friday Night | OneFootball

The Los Angeles have their best game and biggest win of the season. Granted, there's only one other win to compare it to. Yet, their 3-0 victory on Independence Day is greater than the 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake at the end of May.

The Los Angeles Galaxy's opponent was hoping to regain first place in the MLS Western Conference Standings. However, with their captain and leading scorer Brian White missing action, it proved to be a difficult task.

In addition to the absence of White, Sam Adekugbe also missed the 4th of July game in Carson, California. Just like White, he scored a goal in the 2-1 victory on March 2 against the LA Galaxy. Furthermore, Sebastian Berhalter missed Friday's game for the same reason as White.

The LA Galaxy capitalized on certain Whitecaps' players missing

It only took the Los Angeles Galaxy two minutes to find the back of the net. Newcomer Matheus Nascimento scored for the second time in his first year in MLS and with the LA Galaxy.

After being relatively quiet and hindered by a hamstring injury, Joseph Paintsil produced two goals of his own. Last year, the Ghana native was a newcomer, too, much like Nascimento.

Marco Reus, the LA Galaxy's reigning Player of the Month the past two months, assisted on Paintsil's first goal. The second was off a penalty kick 17 minutes later.

The LA Galaxy made perhaps MLS's best goalie, Yohei Takaoka, appear mortal. He entered Friday nights game allowing an average of half a goal per contest. He allowed three against the LA Galaxy on the 4th of July this weekend.

Both wins by the Los Angeles Galaxy this season have been by shutout. This feat is astonishing as the six-time MLS Cup winners entered the holiday weekend with the worst defense in the league. Furthermore, they were facing MLS's stingiest defense, as well.

While a second win for the LA Galaxy this late in the season doesn't do much for their playoff hopes, it helps build morale and keep the defending champions upbeat about the rest of the 2025 MLS regular season.

Next up, the LA Galaxy will host D.C. United. This is a matchup of the two teams to make the first ever MLS Cup Finals back n 1996. Thirty years later, much is different between the two soccer clubs. Both franchises currently would miss the playoffs if the season ended today.