Marco Reus was the star of the show when La Galaxy drew 2-2 on Sunday with City Rivals Los Angeles FC, with the former Germany International scored a brace to save a point.
Reus had opened the score in the sixth minute after he had folded a rebound at home for only his second MLS goal of the season.
“I love these games,” he said, as quoted by the official MLS website. “Especially when we play at home with our own club. So for me it is always a chance to step up for the team and also for myself. It was a big game.
But Ecstasy soon changed to misery when Lafc turned the match with goals Denis Bouanga in the 13th minute and Nathan Ordaz five minutes in the second half.
The Galaxy then had a goal excluded for offside with only 12 minutes left on the clock before Reus stepped to a level in the 87th minute with a brilliant broken free kick.
“I have had situations like this in my career a thousand times, so I know what to do in this situation. I don't look so, okay, the referee will blow the whistle, and then I have to shoot now. I have to stay calm, just concentrate on the situation and hopefully it will enter.
“This time I was a bit lucky, but it was also a good chip.
“It is a derby, and for the fans it is very important for them that we continue to fight. We still believe in us, you saw that today.
“It was not a simple game for us, such as the latest games, but if we continue with the team chemistry, with no giving up, especially in this situation, we will come back.”
Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney was understandably happy with Reus's contribution, especially given the absence due to injury for last season's 17-goalkeeper Riqui Puig.
“A great finish from Marco on the free kick. We needed him to perform and he did that at the time. I am proud of the boys,” Vanney said.
“It is important to have him on the field, because we can trust him to change the game as he could do last year and Riqui is not there, but we have Marco Reus, so that is another good player to fill that place.
“Just to have him in the dressing room with his experience and through these heavy piece of games, he is the man who continues with positivity around the dressing room and everyone respects every time he speaks.
“He is such a smooth customer. The keys to Marco go on the ball, get him in places where he can see forward, guys who run with him and around him so that he can simply deliver because his vision is so good and his touch is so soft.”
Another classic El Tráfico pic.twitter.com/Dcktny783E
– La Galaxy (@lagalaxy) 19 May 2025
The deceased equalizer van Reus earned the defensive MLS champions only their fourth point of the season, while they are still without a victory after 14 games and at the bottom of the Western Conference. However, their position is not harassed.
“I honestly don't look at the rankings because it doesn't matter. I know where we are. I know how our points are,” he said.
“What I look at are our versions and try to help improve this team and help our boys prepare them to win. In our competition you have to start stacking a number of victories.
You start to stack a number of victories and you can talk about whether the play -offs are something or not. I think that it is normal for us to win the first victory, the second victory and then to go from there, and then I think it is a better time to have that discussion, but at the moment we have to concentrate on one victory at the same time. “