Joseph Paintsil’s Late Spark Not Enough as Galaxy Fall to Columbus Crew
Joseph Paintsil made a telling contribution off the bench, but it proved insufficient as LA Galaxy suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Columbus Crew in their MLS clash.
The home side laid the foundation for victory late in the first half when Dániel Gazdag found the breakthrough in the 41st minute, finishing off a move initiated by Hugo Picard. Columbus returned from the interval with renewed intent and quickly doubled their advantage, as Diego Rossi converted in the 47th minute after being set up by Max Arfsten.
Trailing by two goals, Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney sought a response from his bench, introducing Paintsil alongside Harbor Miller just after the hour mark.
The Ghanaian winger injected urgency into the visitors’ attack, repeatedly testing the Columbus backline with direct running. His persistence paid off late in the contest when, in the 86th minute, he delivered a precise through ball that released Gabriel Pec, who finished calmly to reduce the deficit.
Galaxy pressed for an equaliser in the closing stages, but Columbus remained resolute to secure the victory, leaving Paintsil’s late influence as a consolation in an otherwise frustrating outing for the visitors.
