L.A. Galaxy midfielder Riqui Puig Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

'I felt like a little kid': Record crowd energizes L.A. Galaxy

By Alyssa Clang | Last updated 7/5/23

What a difficult season for the L.A. Galaxy. Terrible results (and backroom drama) in the first few matches of 2023 led to a coordinated fan protest against the Galaxy's long-serving leadership team. A loss against local rivals LAFC in April pushed the Galaxy into the bottom reaches of the Western Conference.

To top off the list of woes, Lionel Messi's arrival in Miami highlighted just how far the Galaxy have fallen since David Beckham joined the team in 2007. For the winningest franchise in MLS history, 2023 has felt like loss after loss.

On Tuesday night, the Galaxy finally could celebrate a big achievement: a 2-1 win over LAFC before an MLS-record crowd of 82,210 at the Rose Bowl. While LAFC had the clear edge in the first meeting this season, it was the Galaxy who looked stronger, hungrier and smarter in the second match.

Tyler Boyd kicked things off with a glorious curved shot after a perfect assist from man of the match Riqui Puig:

OH MY TYLER BOYD pic.twitter.com/ON8JQ2zOXb
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 5, 2023

While LAFC battled back to tie the score 1-1 with a goal by Ilie Sanchez, it was Boyd and Puig who showed up again in the second half to win it. This time, though, the roles were reversed. Boyd feathered in a perfect cross from the left flank, and Puig timed his run perfectly to slide a neat shot past the LAFC goalkeeper.

WHAT A RUN BY RIQUI PUIG@RiquiPuig is putting on a show out there! pic.twitter.com/JuYaybgH2y
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 5, 2023

It's hard to overstate how much this victory means to the Galaxy and their fans. The team didn't just beat its rivals; it destroyed them. The Galaxy still have a long, difficult journey to even make the playoffs, but this victory will fuel the team for months.

For Boyd and Puig — two MLS stars with massive potential — the game means everything. Derbies of this scale are rare in MLS, and the two Galaxy players showed they can keep cool heads when it counts.

"I think every player plays soccer to play these games," Puig said after the match. "These stadiums, to have 82,000 people watching you...I don't play for money, I play for these experiences. I felt like a little kid."