The U.S. won the shootout 5-4 after the rivals played to a 2-2 draw in regulation. Emily Fox scored the decisive goal in the seventh round of the shootout after Naeher stopped Evelyne Viens.

Sophia Smith scored both U.S. goals. Her first tied the score at 1-all in the 50th minute. Her second put the Americans ahead 2-1 in the 68th off a cross from Trinity Rodman, who was subbed in only minutes before.

Adriana Leon scored twice for Canada. She made it 1-0 in the 40th minute, and tied the score at 2-all when she converted a penalty in the 86th.

It was the 66th meeting between between the teams, with the U.S. leading the series 54-4-8. The last meeting was last month in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, with the Americans advancing to the final on penalty shots after a rain-soaked 2-2 draw. Naeher also made three saves and converted a penalty in that match.

“It’s just incredible to watch and be here live, and know how prepared she is,” interim U.S. coach Twila Kilgore said. “I mean, she is prepared for every PK she could possibly face.”

The SheBelieves Cup matches were the last for the team under Kilgore. Emma Hayes, currently ending her coaching duties with England’s Chelsea, is set to take over for the next two games on the schedule, exhibitions against South Korea in June. Kilgore, who had an 11-1-2 record during her time in charge, will remain on Hayes’ staff.

Kilgore led the team to a 10-1-3 record after taking over for Vlatko Andonovski, who departed after the U.S. was eliminated in the Round of 16 at the Women’s World Cup last summer.

“I just think this team needed to regroup a little bit and focus on the things we felt would get us ready (for the Olympics) and get back to who we really are, get back to our DNA and also make sure that we’re evolving,” Kilgore said. “This team really wanted to evolve. Everything you see on the pitch is all credit to the players.”

Canada’s opening SheBelieves Cup match against Brazil also ended with a penalty shootout.

“In penalties we have a thorough process,” Canada coach Bev Priestman said. “At the end of the day, when you’ve got a full stadium cheering for the goalkeeper you’re going up against, nerves can be affected no matter what the staff say and what they do in training.”

Mallory Swanson, who started in the Americans’ 2-1 victory over Japan in the SheBelieves opener on Saturday, came on as a substitute to start the second half. Swanson was sidelined for a year after injuring her patellar tendon during an exhibition against Ireland last year. The injury kept her out of last summer’s Women’s World Cup.

Naomi Girma did not play after she was subbed off in the first half of the opener with an apparent thigh injury.

Korbin Albert made her second straight appearance as a substitute following a controversy over past social media posts. The 20-year-old, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain, had reposted anti-LGBTQ+ content on her TikTok account.

Albert apologized, saying “liking and sharing posts that are offensive, insensitive and hurtful was immature and disrespectful which was never my intent.”

Alex Morgan addressed the issue last week, noting the team was handling it internally. The U.S. Women’s National Team Players Association issued a statement earlier Tuesday.

“The women’s soccer community is one of joy, excitement, kindness and love. We have worked to ensure our community is safe, inclusive and welcoming to everyone. As allies and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, those efforts will not stop,” the statement said.

Brazil took third place, beating Japan, 3-0, in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in the earlier match at Lower.com Field. Goalkeeper Lorena saved all three penalty attempts by Japan.

All four teams that played in the SheBelieves Cup have qualified for the Paris Olympics this summer.

An EPIC Final in Columbus

SheBelieves Cup, presented by @Visa pic.twitter.com/HBRWkHBwb7

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) April 10, 2024

SOPH EQUALIZES!!!! #USWNT x @vw pic.twitter.com/m7CfgN2JtS

— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) April 10, 2024

Speaking at the Ritz-Carlton in downtown, Infantino said he was very happy to express his thoughts to America’s top-division power players ahead of the next Club World Cup and men’s World Cup, both of which are set to take place in North America.

“It’s important to work together to push the promotion of the game in North America and all over the world,” Infantino said. “From that point of view, for me, it was very interesting and I look forward to continue working together.”

Infantino shared his thoughts on the state of soccer in the U.S., the MLS, the impact of growing the game on the fan level, commitments and investments for soccer-specific infrastructure, and continuing to grow the sport’s supporter culture, according to MLS commissioner Don Garber.

Owners and executives representing the league’s 30 teams during the two-day conference declined to comment on Infantino’s presentation or any other developments following the first of three in-person board of governors sessions this year.

“I think he has very strong views that this is just the beginning of a journey where MLS can continue to evolve and grow with the right level of investment and the right level of support to reach really tremendous new heights,” Garber said.

“We have always had an aspiration to be one of the top leagues in the world, and I think we’re on our path to achieve that but we know we have a lot of work to do,” the commissioner added. “Now having FIFA pay more attention to our league and what we can do to help the global game is super positive. I thanked him for his engagement with us and I look forward to spending more time with people at FIFA.”

Voted into office in February 2016 following the impeachment of Sepp Blatter, Infantino was re-elected unopposed for a third and final four-year term as FIFA president in March of 2023.

Along with more than a hundred staff members from FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich, the Swiss-born Infantino, 54, recently moved from Qatar, site of the 2022 World Cup, to Coral Gables, Florida, as preparations are underway for the expanded 48-team men’s World Cup in 2026.

“We’ve been working very closely with CONCACAF for many, many years now because we want our region to be a powerful region in the world of global soccer, global football,” said Garber, serving his 25th year as MLS commissioner. “And now to be able to have a closer relationship with FIFA and with its president to help both our region but also soccer at all levels in the United States and Canada is fantastic.

“I think it speaks to or underscores the importance of the North American soccer market. FIFA is embracing the opportunity here to grow the game. It’s exciting to see the enthusiasm that exists, both at the FIFA level and at the CONCACAF level with where we are today, but probably most important what potential we have to make soccer the preeminent sport in this country.”

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  LAFC forward Cristian Olivera on the attack during the April 6th game against Galaxy at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  LA Galaxy forward Riqui Puig looks for an open teammate during the April 6th game against LAFC at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  LA Galaxy forward Miguel Berry carries the ball during the April 6th game at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  LAFC forward Denis Bouanga and LA Galaxy forward Joseph Painstil fight for the ball during the April 6th game at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris catches a loose ball during the April 6th game against Galaxy at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  LAFC celebrate after their 2-1 win over Galaxy on April 6th game at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  LA Galaxy midfielder Mark Delgado heads the ball during the April 6th game against LAFC at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  LA Galaxy forward Joseph Painstil takes a shot during the April 6th game at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  LAFC star forward Denis Bouanga carries the ball up the field during the April 6th game against LA Galaxy at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  LAFC forward Mateusz Bogusz takes a shot on goal during the April 6th game against LA Galaxy at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  The LAFC supporter groups unveil their tifo during the April 6th game at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  LAFC forward Denis Bouanga and Los Angeles Galaxy defender Miki Yamane fight for a loose ball during the April 6th game at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Los Angeles Galaxy Starting XI for the April 6th game against LAFC at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  Los Angeles Galaxy defender Edwin Cerrillo and LAFC defender Ryan Hollingshead fight for control of the ball during their April 6th game at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  Los Angeles Galaxy defender Julian Aude and LAFC forward Cristian Olivera fight for control of the ball during their April 6th game at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  Los Angeles Galaxy defender Julian Aude and LAFC forward Cristian Olivera fight for control of the ball during their April 6th game at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

LOS ANGELES — When El Trafico comes calling, throw win-loss records out the window.

The up-and-down Los Angeles Football Club held off an L.A. Galaxy group that was unbeaten in six matches to begin the Major League Soccer season, securing an uplifting 2-1 win at BMO Stadium over their resurgent rivals.

The first of three regular season derby meetings came down the wire as LAFC could not put the game away and the Galaxy failed to penetrate the home side’s effective defense, which accounted for eight block shots in front of goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

Timothy Tillman and Denis Bouanga bagged their LAFC leading third goals of the season, offsetting the first MLS goal for Galaxy defender Julian Aude — each in the first half.

Stutter-stepping into the match, LAFC (3-3-1, 10 points) sat ninth in the standings compared to the top-of-the-table Galaxy (3-1-3, 12 points). This marked a reversal from the previous six seasons when the five-time MLS champions from Carson had a better record than LAFC in only four of their 17 league contests.

Tillman’s simple finish at the far post in the fourth minute gave LAFC what it covets most against any opponent: a lead.

After Bouanga earned a corner kick, the versatile Mateusz Bogusz delivered the ball into the box. At the near post midfielder Ilie Sanchez flicked it beyond the Galaxy defense, leaving Tillman, who looped in behind the white-shirted visitors, to knock in the early go-ahead goal.

A short time later, Tillman spoiled a breakaway by denying a quick transition from an LAFC set piece with a foul on Gabriel Pec in the 21st minute. But the yellow card did not dissuade Tillman from making his presence felt on the field the rest of the way.

“You need to be smart then,” said Tillman, who played through the final whistle. “I think I’m a smart player. I could deal with it. Of course there are some situations you have to stop maybe or take a step back before trying too much and ending up in a foul. It’s just about effort. If you try hard enough, if you keep chasing the ball you still have a chance to win it.”

Nearing the half-hour mark, the Galaxy leveled the score on the last of four rapid-fire shots over a five-second span — one more than they managed the first 29 minutes.

Galaxy midfielder Gaston Brugman gave Aude a pathway into the LAFC box, and the defender fired off a right-footed shot that would’ve beat goalkeeper Hugo Lloris had it not clanged off the post.

Aude snapped another one off the rebound but LAFC center back Jesus Murillo jumped in front of the shot before blocking the next try from Pec. The ball fell to Aude once more and no one was there to deny the 21-year-old Argentinian.

The visitors celebrated in the southeast corner of the stadium, where 600 of their supporters had gathered for the occasion among an announced crowd of 22,321.

The Galaxy’s enthusiasm waned two minutes later when Bouanga went down in the box on a razor-thin foul call on Japanese defender Miki Yamane, who caught last year’s Golden Boot winner’s trail leg with a slide tackle.

Referee Jon Freemon conferred with video assistant review official Younes Marrakchi on the way to confirming the penalty, which Bouanga smashed up the middle.

“It’s a frustrating game,” Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney said. “These big games come down to moments and emotions. When goals happen, the first one is us not executing, and the second is a tough one to swallow.”

The second half plus three stoppage time minutes yielded a well-played, less frantic version of El Trafico than has been typical for the series.

LAFC had numerous opportunities to put the game away, including by Bouanga who was wide open in the 80th minute after a low cross courtesy of Cristian Olivera was smashed over the crossbar.

“The only thing we’re not happy with is closing the game out,” Cherundolo said. “We had clear chances to go 3-1 up in the second half. Those need to happen and then the game becomes much easier to finish.”

The Galaxy forced Lloris to make three saves in his El Trafico debut. A terrific jumping reaction by the 37-year-old Frenchman denied a blast by the visitor’s leading goal scorer Dejan Jovelic in the 69th minute. Otherwise, LAFC held down the Galaxy’s trio of designated players — the Killa P’s Riqui Puig, Joseph Paintsil and Pec — conceding one shot on target between them.

Starting in goal for the Galaxy, John McCarthy, the 2022 MLS Cup most valuable player for LAFC, returned to the site of that game after leaving as a free agent and made seven saves.

“They’re a good team,” McCarthy said. “I think some results didn’t go their way this year. That’s part of a long running season. I think we had to lose at some point. Unfortunately it was today, but it happens. It’s a long season and we have to build off of it.”

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  LAFC forward Cristian Olivera on the attack during the April 6th game against Galaxy at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  LA Galaxy forward Riqui Puig looks for an open teammate during the April 6th game against LAFC at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  LA Galaxy forward Miguel Berry carries the ball during the April 6th game at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  LAFC forward Denis Bouanga and LA Galaxy forward Joseph Painstil fight for the ball during the April 6th game at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris catches a loose ball during the April 6th game against Galaxy at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  LAFC celebrate after their 2-1 win over Galaxy on April 6th game at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  LA Galaxy midfielder Mark Delgado heads the ball during the April 6th game against LAFC at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  LA Galaxy forward Joseph Painstil takes a shot during the April 6th game at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  LAFC star forward Denis Bouanga carries the ball up the field during the April 6th game against LA Galaxy at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  LAFC forward Mateusz Bogusz takes a shot on goal during the April 6th game against LA Galaxy at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  The LAFC supporter groups unveil their tifo during the April 6th game at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  LAFC forward Denis Bouanga and Los Angeles Galaxy defender Miki Yamane fight for a loose ball during the April 6th game at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  The Los Angeles Galaxy Starting XI for the April 6th game against LAFC at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  Los Angeles Galaxy defender Edwin Cerrillo and LAFC defender Ryan Hollingshead fight for control of the ball during their April 6th game at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  Los Angeles Galaxy defender Julian Aude and LAFC forward Cristian Olivera fight for control of the ball during their April 6th game at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

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  Los Angeles Galaxy defender Julian Aude and LAFC forward Cristian Olivera fight for control of the ball during their April 6th game at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

LOS ANGELES — A current nagging issue popped again for the Galaxy in Saturday’s first El Trafico meeting against Los Angeles Football Club and that just added to a frustrating night.

In the fourth minute, LAFC’s Timothy Tillman found himself alone on the back post on a corner kick and he knocked the ball into the goal for the opening goal.

The Galaxy have allowed five goals off of corner kicks this season.

“It’s frustrating to give up another goal, early like that …guy is wide open, super frustrating, something we have to look at, something we’ve talked about already,” Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy said.

That wasn’t the only frustration the Galaxy will take from the evening. Later in the first half, defender Miki Yamane was ruled to have fouled LAFC forward Denis Bouanga in the penalty area. Referee Jon Freemon didn’t hesitate, immediately pointing to the penalty spot. Even after going to the video review, the penalty stood.

“We give up a set piece goal early, which in my opinion, gives them a lot of confidence right from the bat, that they can get something out of this (game),” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “I know they’re a confident team, I know they’re at home, but I also think that they also know the quality and the speed and the pace and the different things that we have, you could see it by the number of fouls all over the field.”

LAFC was credited with committing 20 fouls, compared to just seven for the Galaxy. Four yellow cards were issued, all to LAFC.

“Referee couldn’t find his yellow card for a hell of a long time,” Vanney said. “So it just plays into their hands …In this league, if referees don’t call fouls, the team that wants to have the ball are going to lose a lot of games.

“The standard of the penalty foul was not the standard of the foul for the whole game, that’s the embarrassing part of it all. If that contact was the contact that set the standard for what is a foul in this game ….(defender) Maya (Yoshida) got mugged three or four times on set pieces …it’s just so inconsistent and it’s just hard, but we made mistakes, we didn’t play great, we didn’t find the right shape in the beginning of the game, which then afforded them some opportunities to counter.

“We got back to 1-1 and we immediately …for me I don’t believe it’s a penalty. I believe he kicks out his leg to our guy who slides and then goes down …it’s minimal at best ….my opinion, but we give back the lead instantly, which is a problem.”

After the Tillman’s fourth-minute goal, the Galaxy scored the equalizer in the 29th minute from Julian Aude. Six minutes later, Bouanga converted the penalty to make it 2-1 and that’s where the game remained.

Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy made seven saves, several coming in the second half to keep the deficit at one goal.

“What you saw for the most of the night, is they sat in a relatively low block, they waited to try to turn us over and they broke out,” Vanney said. “If we don’t give the lead and it stays 0-0, or 1-1, then they have to consider coming off of their low block, which then opens the space for us to get after them.

“We also didn’t do ourselves any justice on the night and I think because we’re chasing the game through large stretches, we exposed ourselves sometimes on the counters that gave them opportunities.”

The Galaxy will return to action Saturday on the road against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Jaedyn Shaw also scored for the United States in the match played before 50,644 fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a record for a friendly match for the United States women on home soil. It was also the largest crowd for a women’s game in the United States since the 1999 World Cup final.

The game also marked the return of both Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario after lengthy absences because of injury.

“I think the fans had a huge part in the game today,” interim U.S. coach Twila Kilgore said about the crowd. “You could feel them the entire time.”

Japan scored 30 seconds into the game. Kiko Seike dashed down the wing and evaded a defender with a shot that was out of the reach of U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. It was the first time the U.S. conceded a goal within the opening minute since 2003.

Swanson started in her first game back in nearly a year since injuring her patellar tendon during an exhibition match against Ireland last year. The injury kept her out of last summer’s Women’s World Cup.

Swanson nearly scored in the 15th minute but a goal-line clearance by Japan’s goalkeeper denied her. She had another good chance in the 72nd minute.

“I was a little excited, you could tell,” Swanson said. “So get those jitters out of the way and move on to the next.”

Macario came into the game as a second-half substitute, making her first appearance with the national team in two years after tearing an ACL in a match with Lyon.

Shaw, playing as a No. 10, scored through traffic with a blast from outside the penalty box to tie it. Shaw, 19, is the first U.S. player with five goals in five straight career starts.

“One thing I’d like to point out is that not only did she score a brilliant goal, and not only was she part of very effective buildup, but she did a great job defensively,” Kilgore said of Shaw. “This is an area where she has accepted a challenge and is continuing to grow into, and makes a massive difference for our team.”

Just before Shaw’s goal, the United States was hurt when defender Naomi Girma was subbed off with an apparent right thigh injury. Girma was the U.S. Soccer Player of the Year last year.

Horan’s game-winning penalty came after Sophia Smith was brought down in the box.

Korbin Albert came into the match as a second-half substitute following a controversy over past social media posts. The 20-year-old Albert, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain, had reposted anti-LGBTQ+ content on her TikTok account.

Albert apologized, saying “liking and sharing posts that are offensive, insensitive and hurtful was immature and disrespectful which was never my intent.”

Alex Morgan addressed the issue in a statement earlier this week and noted the team was handling it internally.

“We stand by maintaining a safe and respectful space, especially as allies and members of the LGBTQ+ community. This platform has given us an opportunity to highlight causes that matter to us, something that we never take for granted. We’ll keep using this platform to give attention to causes,” Morgan said.

Brazil was set to play Canada in the later game Saturday in Atlanta. The results will determine the matchups for Tuesday’s SheBelieves Cup matches in Columbus, Ohio.

All of the teams playing in the SheBelieves Cup have qualified for the Olympics in France this summer.

Kilgore is coaching on an interim basis while the U.S. awaits the arrival of new coach Emma Hayes, who is finishing the season with Chelsea.

Luis Muller, who starred for the California Baptist University men’s soccer team from 2000-24, and Javier Hernandez, a Gatorade California Player of the Year finalist from Arlington High School, both have been spotted on the bench for the club in recent weeks.

After scoring two goals for LAFC II in his debut, Muller was listed as substitute for LAFC’s Major League Soccer match against Nashville FC on March 23 after the team announced his signing earlier the same day.

“Two Riverside players on the roster!” said Kevin Watson, former two-year captain for CBU and the head coach of the Arlington High School boys soccer team.

Still in his final months as a high school senior, Hernandez was on the roster for LAFC II in a match against Colorado Rapids 2 on March 31.

“Got on the roster for the first time,” Arlington coach Kevin Watson said. “Now, it’s about getting some minutes.”

A native of Cottbus, Germany, Muller made his professional debut for LAFC II in MLS Next Pro and produced goals immediately, scoring twice in a 4-0 win over Minnesota United II on March 17.

Despite not making it to the field for LAFC on March 23, Muller scored from the penalty spot to help LAFC II beat Houston Dynamo II 3-2 on March 24.

“He has first team quality, both technically and athletically, and he is completely invested in the process,” CBU head coach Coe Michaelson said. “It was great to see him on the bench with the first team, and we expect to see him playing in MLS at some stage.”

Muller scored 26 goals with 19 assists in 69 appearances for CBU, and played for Redlands FC in USL-2 last summer.

Hernandez averaged a CIF-SS Open Division-best 1.5 goals per game for Arlington, which made trips to the CIF Southern Section Open Division final and the CIF SoCal Division I semifinals.

An all-CIF-SS Open Division first-team selection, Hernandez totaled 31 goals in 22 games in his only varsity season. He previously scored 91 goals in 83 appearances for LAFC academy teams at the Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 levels.

“Obviously, if he was ever to go to the (LAFC) first team, that would change things,” Watson said. “He’s signed an academy deal that keeps his (college) eligibility.”

LAFC II competes in MLS Next Pro, which by U.S. Soccer Federation rule allows amateur players to be rostered by its teams.

Hernandez has signed NLI commitment paperwork to attend University of North Carolina in the fall.

BOWERS SIGNS WITH FORCE

Vista Murrieta High graduate Aydan Bowers is back on the West Coast after signing a one-year contract in March to play for Los Angeles Force in the National Independent Soccer Association.

Bowers, selected as a NISA Best XI defender last season while playing for Chattanooga FC, previously played for defunct California United Strikers FC from 2020-’22. He has 11 goals in 66 career professional appearances.

NISA begins its fifth season as the U.S.’s professionally sanctioned men’s third division. Los Angeles Force reached the playoffs last season, losing to eventual champion Flower City Union.

FABIAN SHARES MASL BOOT

Empire Strykers star Marco Fabian ended the season tied for the Major Arena Soccer League lead with 35 goals.

Fabian scored four goals for the Ontario-based Strykers in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Tacoma Stars in the MASL season finale on Sunday, March 31 at Toyota Arena. He finished tied with the Kansas City Comets’ Zach Reget for the league’s Golden Boot award.

The Strykers compiled a 3-19-2 record and missed the MASL playoffs. Fabian, 34, signed a two-year contract with the team in late 2023 and intends to play next season.

MCDANIEL JOINS BRAZILIAN SIDE

Norco High graduate Olivia McDaniel has signed a one-year contract in March to play professionally in Brazil with Santos FC.

McDaniel, 26, was the starting goalkeeper for the Philippines at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She was Player of the Match for her role in a historic 1-0 group stage win over New Zealand.

A U.S. citizen and naturalized Filipino, McDaniel first played for the Philippines in the 2021 AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifying rounds and was instrumental in helping the country qualify for the World Cup for the first time.

While the Galaxy hold a two-win advantage over the Los Angeles Football Club in Major League Soccer regular-season meetings (7-5, with another handful of draws between them) the five-time MLS Cup champions have generally entered the hotly contested matches since 2018 lagging behind their neighbors in the standings and in hope.

Following the first month and a half of the 2024 season, however, that appears not to be the case.

Under the helm of Will Kuntz, who departed LAFC this winter after six seasons with the club’s front office, the Galaxy have an out-of-the-blocks lead in the Supporters’ Shield race and carry a top-dog look about them.

“If they are up there it’s not because of luck,” said LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who is among a handful of newcomers in Black & Gold who will be getting their first in-person look at the Galaxy on Saturday at BMO Stadium. “They have quality. Something positive is happening in their side.”

Galaxy signings Joseph Paintsill and Gabriel Pec made immediate impacts, scoring three times between them while freeing up Dejan Joveljic for five goals.

Adding to the possession-based play preferred by Galaxy coach Greg Vanney and his staff, LAFC defender Aaron Long noted that the visitor’s “dynamic” attack, led by midfielder Riqui Puig on the ball, gives the Galaxy (3-0-3, 12 points) the ability to play over the top and run behind defenders in ways they could not the past few seasons.

Meanwhile, LAFC (2-3-1, seven points) is in ninth position in the Western Conference standings. Six games is too few to glean much about where either team will wind up in the fall, and starting fast early isn’t always an indicator for success, but going unbeaten in their opening six matches has projected a new-old sheen on LAFC’s rival at a time when the 2022 MLS champions look inconsistent as a slew of newcomers build up the basics they’ll have to count on later in the season.

Notwithstanding Coach Steve Cherundolo’s inclination that the timing of the first of three regular-season derbies is no more important than any other for LAFC, experience tells the team’s 37-year-old goalkeeper that “psychologically it’s an important moment in the season to confirm good form at home. And it’s all about confidence. When you win games, especially big games, you can build on that type of feelings for the future,” Lloris said.

Long agreed.

Prior to experiencing 180 minutes of El Trafico madness last year, he was familiar with the Hudson River Derby as part of the New York Red Bulls, and he rolled with Seattle into battles against Portland.

“Derby matches are known to jump-start seasons, for sure,” Long said. “Set you on a new path, for good or for bad. So it’s a huge game, always.”

As the group attempts to find sure footing, this will be the first El Trafico in which Carlos Vela is not on the roster. The Mexican leads all players who appeared in the high-scoring series with 10 goals and five assists through a dozen regular-season appearances.

Cherundolo said it is difficult for him to put the L.A. rivalry into proper context for the uninitiated, but “it doesn’t take much to catch up. You just have to understand the intensity and gravity of the moment.”

Coming off a 3-2 defeat in Colorado when the wheels fell off late after 18-year-old David Martinez was red carded (making him ineligible to appear Saturday), “we haven’t had the start as expected, but we also know the season is a long way,” Lloris said. “We need to reach a consistency in terms of performance, in terms of result, especially away from home. But I believe this game arrived at the right time for us to judge a little bit where we are.

“It’s a good time for us to challenge that type of team.”

GALAXY AT LAFC

When: Saturday, 4:45 p.m.

Where: BMO Stadium

TV/radio: Fox (Ch. 11), Apple TV+ (free), 710 AM, 980 AM

Last season, the Galaxy allowed a whopping 67 goals and finished in 13th place in the Western Conference. There really wasn’t anywhere else to go this year but up.

That’s what has happened through the first six games of the 2024 season, heading into the first city rivalry match against the Los Angeles Football Club.

The Galaxy sits on top of the Western Conference standings (3-0-3, 12 points) and is tied for the MLS lead in points.

“Stronger mindset, just sticking to the plan and sticking in games even when a few things go against us,” Galaxy midfielder Mark Delgado said. “Getting results makes everything better, changes the energy in the building, people are happier, walking around with a smile on their face, joking around for no reason, just getting results changes everything and makes a difference in everyone’s attitude.”

Through the first six games, the Galaxy have gotten results, leaning on some of that resiliency. The Galaxy trailed 2-0 against Nashville SC, but scored in the 67th and 82nd minute to get a draw. Against Sporting Kansas City, the Galaxy trailed 2-0 at halftime, but scored in the 72nd, 75th and 80th minutes for a 3-2 win.

“We’ve started really well, from preseason to now. I think you see this team, we’re all a unit, everybody is working hard defensively … and we have some good attacking threats,” midfielder Diego Fagundez said. “It’s one of those things that sometimes we go down and we all still believe we can come back and I think that’s huge.

“We’re at the top of the league and we want to stay there, but Saturday is another big game and if we want to stay there, it’s another challenge for us that we need to accomplish and I think the squad is definitely up for it.”

It is also a team that has been tested on the road. Including Saturday’s trip to BMO Stadium, the Galaxy have already had trips to Nashville, Sporting Kansas City and San Jose. Next Saturday, the team will again be on the road at Vancouver.

“These challenges that have been presented to us at the beginning, when I looked at our schedule to be honest with you at the start of the season, I thought, this is going to be a really difficult start to the season,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “Because a number of these games are on the road against really good opponents that are hard to beat that we don’t have particularly great record against and the guys have managed each of these in our own way.

“We’ve managed each of these to get something out of them, which has been special. This (game with LAFC) is going to be no different from that way and it’s going to be a huge challenge, but the resiliency of the group and the quality of the group makes me excited to go in there and see what we can do.”

One reason for the Galaxy’s early-season momentum is on the defensive end. Through the first six games, the club has allowed nine goals, one of which is an own goal.

“We knew what the problem was (last year),” defender Maya Yoshida said. “I feel like we’re still improving, but still some games, I can see that we’re still lucky to get a point, so we still need to improve some things. I know Los Angeles people like to have their entertainment, but I’m prefer to have more solidarity (defending) and stability as well.”

GALAXY AT LAFC

When: Saturday, 4:45 p.m.

Where: BMO Stadium

TV: Fox (Ch. 11), Apple TV+ (free)

The club from the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) took advantage of an early red card on its way to a 3-0 victory over the Galaxy’s second team, now known as Ventura County Futbol Club, on Wednesday night in the second round at Dignity Health Sports Park Track and Field Stadium.

The third-round draw will take place on Thursday.

“Excited, happy … all week long we really believed we could get a positive result and I think it showed today that we can play with anybody and that’s what we’re looking to do,” IZFC coach Tyler Silva said.

VCFC, which had defeated Irvine Zeta’s second team in the first round of the tournament, went down to 10 men in the 16th minute when midfielder Nicolas Barros Schelotto was issued a red card.

Late in the first half, Irvine Zeta broke through on the scoreboard as Rafael Espinoza scored after a ball was sent in from the left and a Galaxy defender failed to clear it.

“Obviously the red card changes the game,” Silva said. “But I think we started on the front foot and until the red card, if we weren’t better, we definitely weren’t worse.”

In the 61st minute, George Almeida’s shot from atop the 18-yard box hit the crossbar and went in for a 2-0 lead, then Marcel Salceda put the game away in the 88th minute with a counter-attack goal.

“I think we were able to handle the man-advantage well. We didn’t force things, we waited for the goal to come, the goal came and then we picked our moments to go for the second and third,” Silva said.

Irvine Zeta was founded in 2022 and in May of 2023, the National Independent Soccer Association Board of Governors approved the club’s application for membership in the professional league.

“It’s been one year, less than a year, we were in the UPSL, it’s our first year in a professional league and we’re trying to make the best environment possible,” Silva said. “We have really good players which helps and we’re looking to build a strong connection with the community.”

For VCFC, the team was without midfielder Jonathan Perez, defender Mauricio Cuevas and Marcus Ferkranus. Both Perez and Cuevas were with the Galaxy’s first team.

VCFC is unbeaten in MLS Next Pro play (3-0, nine points) and will return to league play on Sunday against Vancouver Whitecaps 2.

Garces, 22, has made 67 appearances with Pereira, since making his debut last year. During the current season, he’s made 10 appearances, nine starts.

The loan deal comes with an option to purchase.

Garces, a center back, gives the Galaxy some added depth at the position. Jalen Neal has yet to make his season debut and Martin Caceres, who has started next to Maya Yoshida this season, suffered an injury in last Saturday’s win over Seattle. The extent and severity of his injury has yet to be determined. Eriq Zavaleta is the only other healthy center back on the roster.

“He brings great experience for his age having been a part of Pereira’s first ever Colombian league title-winning team as well as starting matches in the 2023 Copa Libertadores competition,” Galaxy general manager Will Kuntz said in a statement. “We look forward to having Emiro’s experience and competitiveness bolster our defensive unit.”

The Galaxy are off to a better start on the defensive end this season, having allowed eight goals, along with an own goal in six games.