Galaxy Rally From Two Down to Beat Colorado 3-2 in Carson
The short version
- LA Galaxy beat the Colorado Rapids 3-2 on Sept. 26, 2026, in Carson, Calif., after trailing 2-0 at halftime.
- It was LA's second straight come-from-behind 3-2 win and their first back-to-back victories of the season.
- Donavan Phillip and Paxten Aaronson scored for Colorado; a Reggie Cannon own goal, Joao Klauss, and Justin Haak replied for LA.
- Haak's header off a Robert Taylor corner was his first Galaxy goal and stood as the winner.
- Galaxy goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski signed a contract extension during the week and made key first-half saves.
Justin Haak's first Galaxy goal capped a second-half comeback as LA erased a 2-0 deficit against the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night.
The LA Galaxy erased a two-goal halftime deficit to beat the Colorado Rapids 3-2 on Saturday, September 26, at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. The win was the club's second consecutive come-from-behind 3-2 victory, following a similar result against Minnesota the previous week, and marked the first time all season the Galaxy have won back-to-back matches.
Colorado struck early, taking the lead in the fourth minute when striker Donavan Phillip ran in behind the Galaxy defense, outran Jakob Glesnes, and finished past goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski. Marcinkowski kept the deficit at one shortly afterward with a point-blank save in a one-on-one situation. The shutout preservation came in the same week the starting goalkeeper signed a contract extension.
The Rapids doubled their advantage in the first half in familiar fashion. Paxten Aaronson was played in behind the LA defense on the left side, won a physical battle with Lucas Calegari for the ball, and converted the breakaway to make it 2-0.
Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney's halftime adjustments changed the game. LA shifted formation at the start of the second half and pressed Colorado high, and the pressure paid off in the 54th minute. A cross aimed at striker Joao Klauss was missed by the target man, but his run caused a Reggie Cannon own goal that cut the deficit to 2-1.
Klauss then leveled the match in the simplest fashion possible. Rapids goalkeeper Nicholas Hansen played an errant pass directly to the striker, who guided it into the net to make it 2-2. The equalizer set the stage for the winner eight minutes later.
Defender Justin Haak completed the comeback off a corner kick, rising to head home Robert Taylor's inswinging delivery for his first goal in a Galaxy uniform. After a difficult opening to the game, Haak and center-back partner Glesnes held firm alongside the rest of the backline as Colorado pushed for an equalizer that never came.
Marcinkowski, whom Haak called the team's best and most consistent performer, deflected praise afterward. "If I thought I was the best player, I would probably be delusional," he said, crediting a locker room with players who have competed at the highest level worldwide and saying the group is coming together at the right time.
Vanney highlighted the atmosphere as a factor in the turnaround, telling reporters the crowd and players were as in sync as they had been in perhaps two years. Marcinkowski agreed, describing the home support as powerful and saying a third goal felt inevitable once the second went in. The coach added that the team is winning games in different ways and showing resilience, which he called the most important thing down the stretch in a match with playoff implications.
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