Dos Santos scores as Galaxy shutout Orlando

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:22 am

Jonathan Dos Santos scored in the 19th minute and David Bingham stopped a first-half penalty kick as the Los Angeles Galaxy won 1-0 at Orlando City on Friday night to snap a four-game losing streak.

It was a much-needed result for the Galaxy (8-5-1, 25 points), whose previous victory came against Real Salt Lake on April 28. They managed to get it done this time without star Zlatan Ibrahimovic (nine goals in 2019), who was serving the last game of a two-game suspension for violent conduct.

Meanwhile, it was a fourth defeat in five matches for Orlando City (4-7-3, 15 points), which has now lost four times at home the season. City was also minus one of its top offensive contributors with veteran striker Dom Dwyer suspended one match for yellow-card accumulation.

Though Orlando City was the aggressor through the first 18 minutes of the match, the Galaxy scored on its first true shot on target as Dos Santos drilled home a blistering wonder strike from 25 yards. It was the Galaxy's first goal since the 87th minute of a 3-1 loss at Columbus on May 8.

Orlando then had a golden opportunity to equalize when Dos Santos committed a foul on Sebastian Mendez in the box. However, Bingham, who had six saves, guessed correctly to make a diving stop to the right on Nani's penalty kick in the 32nd minute. City's Will Johnson pounced on the rebound but missed to the left.

In the second half, Orlando was relentless often in the final third but still came away with nothing but frustration.

With Bingham overplaying a ball deep into the box from Sacha Kljestan, Kyle Smith nearly put one home in the 68th minute for Orlando, but Los Angeles' Perry Kitchen cleared it near the line. Orlando's Chris Mueller had a quality open look stopped on a one-handed save by Bingham on 73 minutes.

The result marked the first time in five overall meetings between the teams that the visitor was victorious.