Diego Rossi erupted with four goals as LAFC knocked off rival the LA Galaxy 6-2 on Saturday in Group F play of the MLS is Back Tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Florida.
LAFC moved alone into second place in Group F with four points, while the Galaxy -- who are set to be without Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez for up to a month through injury -- has failed to earn a tournament point in two games. The Portland Timbers lead the group with six points.
It was LAFC's first victory over the Galaxy in what is considered a regular-season game. Now in their third year of existence, LAFC's only previous victory over the Galaxy was in last year's MLS Cup playoffs. The teams have played to a tie three times.
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The Galaxy stayed competitive without two of their top offensive players: forward Hernandez (calf) and midfielder Jonathan dos Santos (hernia). LAFC forward, and reigning MLS MVP, Carlos Vela opted out of the tournament.
"Chicharito had a problem in training," Galaxy head coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto said after the match. "It's an injury that will need three or four weeks to recover from. We'll see. It was in Thursday's training."
The Galaxy jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute after an own goal. The Galaxy's Sebastian Lletget tried to slide a centering pass through the penalty area and LAFC's Latif Blessing directed it into his own goal.
LAFC evened the score 1-1 in the 13th minute when Rossi scored on a penalty kick that was earned by Bradley Wright-Phillips, after he was fouled by the Galaxy's Perry Kitchen.
The Galaxy moved back on top 2-1 in the 31st minute after Cristian Pavon scored on a penalty kick that was earned by Joe Corona. But LAFC tied it again 2-2 in first-half stoppage time when Rossi scored on the rebound of a Wright-Phillips shot that was saved by Galaxy goalkeeper David Bingham.
The two Galaxy goals in 31 minutes matched their entire total in the first three games of the season.
A massive swing in momentum led to LAFC's 3-2 lead. Pavon appeared to give the Galaxy a lead in the 54th minute, but he was ruled to be offside. Two minutes later Wright-Phillips scored on the other end, his second of the tournament.
Rossi scored his third of the game in the 75th minute, with substitute Mohamed El-Munir adding a fifth goal on a left-footed shot in the 80th minute. Rossi's final goal came in stoppage time.
"I think that defensive situation happened because the team gave up the battle and the fight," Barros Schelotto said. "We can't do that.
"We have to play for 90 minutes, trying to play when we have the ball and working to get it back when we don't have it.
"We can't give up before time and that's what happened and that's what generated a heap of spaces in our defence."
There were seven yellow cards handed out in the physical meeting.
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