Galaxy Earn Point against Houston in 1-1 Draw at Home
MLS LA Galaxy

Galaxy Earn Point against Houston in 1-1 Draw at Home

Published on May 23, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
LA Galaxy News Release


LOS ANGELES - The LA Galaxy (555, 20 points) played to a 1-1 draw at home against Western Conference side Houston Dynamo FC (7-6-1, 22 points) at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday night. Joseph Paintsil put the Galaxy on the board in the 30th minute, for his third goal of the MLS regular season. Houston battled back with an equalizer 11 minutes later to end the game level.

MLS competition will pause until June 21 for international play, creating a window for clubs to continue developing, preparing and building toward the remainder of the season. Training will resume the week of the 21st, and the Galaxy will host El Trafico at Dignity Health Sports Park on Friday, July 17 in the first MLS match post-World Cup break.

Goalscoring Plays

LA - Joseph Paintsil, 30th minute: Edwin Cerrillo chipped a ball over the Houston back line to play Miki Yamane in on the right side of the box. Yamane's ensuing ball across the six took a deflection from a defender, but Paintsil was there to slam the ball into the back of the net.

HOU - Guilherme (Jack McGlynn), 41st minute: Against the run of play, Guilherme received the ball above the box, took a touch, and then fired a right-footed shot into the bottom corner from nearly 25 yards out to level the match at 1-1.

Postgame Notes

Midfielder Marco Reus captained his ninth of 15 league matches for the Galaxy this season and has now donned the armband in five consecutive MLS Regular Season contests.

Forward Joseph Paintsil's first-half score was his third goal of the MLS Regular Season thus far, seventh total contribution in league play, and eighth overall contribution across all competitions in 2026 (four goals, four assists).

The Galaxy extended their scoring streak to 24 consecutive matches with Joseph Painstil's goal in the first half, the longest active scoring streak in MLS.

With tonight's result, the Galaxy played the Houston Dynamo to their first draw of the season.

Defender Emiro Garcés (foot) and forward João Klauss (foot) were unavailable for selection in tonight's match due to injury.

Next Up

The LA Galaxy return from the 2026 FIFA World Cup break with the latest edition of El Trafico against LAFC on Friday, July 17 (7:45 p.m. PT, FOX/Apple TV) at Dignity Health Sports Park.

Match Information

Match: LA Galaxy vs Houston Dynamo

Date: May 23, 2026

Venue: Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California

Weather: Cloudy and 65°F

Scoring Summary

1 2 F

LA Galaxy

1 0 1

Houston Dynamo

1 0 1

LA: Joseph Paintsil, 30'

HOU: Guilherme (Jack McGlynn), 41'

Lineups: LA Galaxy: GK JT Marcinkowski; D John Nelson, D Justin Haak, D Jakob Glesnes, D Miki Yamane (Mauricio Cuevas, 67'); M Edwin Cerrillo, M Elijah Wynder (Matheus Nascimento, 57'), M Erik Thommy (Lucas Sanabria, 57'); F Joseph Paintsil (Harbor Miller, 79'), F Gabriel Pec, F Marco Reus

Substitutes not used: Novak Mićović, Maya Yoshida, Julián Aude, Dylan Vanney, Ruben Ramos Jr.

Houston Dynamo: GK Jonathan Bond; D Lawrence Ennali, D Antonio Carlos, D Artur (Agustin Bouzat, 78'), D Agustin Resch, D Felipe Andrade; M Jack McGlynn, M Hector Herrera (Diadie Samassekou, 78'), M Mateusz Bogusz, M Guilherme (Aliiyu Ibrahim, 85'); F Ondrej Lingr (Ezequiel Ponce, 66')

Substitutes not used: Blake Gillingham, Erik Sviatchenko, Franco Negri, Duane Holmes, Nick Markanich

Stats Summary

LA HOU

Shots

19 10

Shots on Goal

6 5

Saves

3 5

Corner Kicks

9 2

Fouls

6 9

Offsides

0 0

Possession

53.89% 46.11%

Misconduct Summary

HOU: Mateusz Bogusz (caution) 20'

LA: Joseph Paintsil (caution) 37'

HOU: Agustin Resch (caution) 38'

HOU: Felipe Andrade (caution) 57'

Officials

Referee: Lorenzo Hernandez

Assistant Referees: Brian Dunn, Stephen McGonagle

Fourth Official: Cristian Campo Hernandez

VAR: Kevin Stott

All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial

LA Galaxy Postgame Top Quotes

LA Galaxy Head Coach Greg Vanney

On the first half of the season and what to expect next:

"I think we'll feel like early we left some points on the table, in a couple of the early games, for sure. I think we'll look back and we'll like some of what I would put as the league leaders, we did well against some of those. And the teams that were lower in the table, we gave up points in some of those places. That's something that we've got to clean up and win the games that we supposedly should win. But that's MLS. I feel like every game in MLS is difficult and every team can beat anybody on any given day. But for us, you know, I think that's something that we did. We competed really well against the top teams and took points, and then we gave up some that we would probably think that we should get points out of. Aside from that, we are in ninth. We've had a really, really busy first half of the season. I calculated the other day, we've been right up close to 30,000 miles in the first half of the season, which is insane. We've had some big injuries to big guys who have missed sections of the season, including now. So I think that's how we've played over the last six to eight games, I'm pleased with because a lot of those games have been on the road, and we've showed a different kind of resilience both with and without the ball. I think we showed a different intensity level. And I think we found a formula that we can really build on with this group and a connection that we can bring back for the second half of the season and push where we'll be only focusing on. So I know the group in there, we're disappointed for tonight but they are excited about what's to come in the next half of the season."

On the dynamic between Marco Reus and Erik Thommy:

"[Erik Thommy] He's one of those players who, again, he has legs. He has wisdom. He moves with the ball. He moves off the ball. He creates activity and motion on the field. And so it's not super rigid. He's pretty fluid and, he's smart about how he's moving around. And Marco [Reus] playing in the nine, depending on where he sort of drifts into, creates superiorities and opportunities. And when we are able to give him the ball, I thought guys did a great job of running off of those moments, and he was able to slot guys in and get us out of what looks like tight situations. But through our running and his vision and quality, he's able to play us in. So again, I felt we had more ball security in the last couple games than I felt like maybe we had in a couple games before. The formula is coming around, and now we've got to put those two things, good defensive play, good on the ball, and put it together for 90 minutes on a consistent basis."

On what the team needs to gain during the transfer window:

"We'll see. For us right now, just from a financial standpoint, anybody who has followed those, it's tight. So anything that would happen would probably involve multiple actions, and so we'll see. We'd always love to reinforce every window, especially summer window is an opportunity to reinforce your team to get better or get depth or something. We've talked about specific things but we have to kind of figure out who is available and where the money is going to come from for things to happen."

On Nascimento's progression with the Club ahead of his loan expiration at the end of June:

"I thought he had over the, I guess it's close to a year and a half now, he had a good section of play last year, kind of during Leagues Cup and during that summer run, I thought he had a really good run. Outside of that, he's had some ups and downs with injuries, being out, being unavailable. It's taken him a while to get back into form when he's had little injuries or things like that, and get back into fitness and form. So I feel like it's been an inconsistent run for him. And at times, I see flashes of things, and at times I feel like he needs more intensity in his game, especially in this league. I don't know, we'll talk with the guys upstairs and everywhere else and have a plan as to what it's going to look like next."

LA Galaxy Defender Jakob Glesnes

On how he'd assess the first half of the season:

"I would say there have been a lot of ups and downs. To be honest, we want to have more points at home than what we have so far. This should be our fourth and we have lost a little bit too many points here so far. But the good thing is that we are just halfway through, and we have something that we can do with it. We took some really good away points in this stretch. But overall, we want to be better. But I'm happy with the way that we have been finishing this last one and a half months. Also, because then I feel like we have been one unit and we have been working harder together. We have been harder to play against. We have gotten good results out of that, as well."

On what it's like playing in front of JT Marcinkowski:

"It's really fun because JT, he's a great guy, and now that he's playing so well for the team, it's amazing, and it's well deserved for him because he's worked hard. But it is giving us confidence when you know that if you f--- up a time or two, you have someone that is saving you behind there. He was Man of the Match last game with some of his saves that he had there; when there was a really good pass on the back post and he's just coming out and he's making himself big. He's saving the three points on the night and that's just how it is. But yeah, I'm really happy for him, and also for the team that, yeah, that we have been doing so -- so well over the last part of the season now."

LA Galaxy Midfielder Elijah Wynder

On his recent performances and what he aims to improve after the break:

"I know we've been talking about consistency a lot but for me personally, it's consistency. It's a hard thing. I think in the beginning of the season, I was playing really well, and then I had a couple off-games after that and I wasn't in the starting 11, which is understandable. And then at one point when I wasn't in it, we started winning, so we kept the same 11. I think recently, I've been ready, and then the last couple games, I've gotten the start. So I think I've just got to be ready whenever my name's called."

On the team's form heading into the break:

"I think the last, what did you say, six games, we've been playing a lot better. I think a big thing for us is we have been harping on playing more as a team, as a group. So everything we do, we do it together. We defend together. We attack together. So I think you see in more recent games, everybody is putting in the work on the defensive side. Everybody is pressing together. When we get the ball, everybody is moving into the attack together. So I think the big thing that we've been working on is playing as a team. And I think we have been implementing that."

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Major League Soccer Stories from May 23, 2026


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