Zlatan brace sends LA Galaxy past Toronto FC

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice after halftime, and the LA Galaxy snapped a three-match home losing streak with a 2-0 victory over Toronto FC on Thursday night in Carson, Calif.

Ibrahimovic remains second in MLS in goals with 13 behind the 17 of Los Angeles FC's Carlos Vela. He had scored only two in his previous six league matches, a relative cold spell for someone who has 35 in his 42 MLS appearances overall.

Efrain Alvarez's cross set up Ibrahimovic's first header, which gave the Galaxy their fourth win out of six games overall, with the previous three victories coming on the road.

Substitute Emile Cuello contributed his first professional assist on Ibrahimovic's second goal. David Bingham made five saves to preserve his seventh shutout of the season.

The Galaxy (11-7-1, 34 points) remain second in the Western Conference, six points back of LAFC after earning their first home win since April 28.

Toronto (6-8-5, 23 points) lost despite welcoming Jonathan Osorio back from duty with Canada at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Reds are still without Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore, who remain with the U.S. national team.

Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire

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Los Angeles outshot Toronto 12-10 and held 58.6 percent of the possession.

Ibrahimovic's first goal came in the 75th minute, immediately following Toronto's most consistent spell of pressure on the other end.

Alvarez had the ball wide on the right and drove in an in-swinging, left-footed cross toward the back post. Ibrahimovic held his run to remain onside, backpedaled, and then sent an arcing header across goal, beyond goalkeeper Quentin Westberg's reach, and inside the right post.

He added his second 14 minutes later with his feet, this time collecting Cuello's cross from the left with a first touch that also took him around Westberg before easily slotting the ball home.

That capped his first multi-goal game since April 13, his ninth overall since joining the Galaxy early in the 2018 season.