Giovanni Dos Santo’s MLS career kicked off in an emphatic fashion as the Galaxy’s latest star assisted and scored in his MLS debut in a 3-1 home win to the Seattle Sounders.

The Sounders got off to a dream start as the visitors took a surprising lead after only 51 seconds of play through ex-LA Galaxy player, Chad Barrett. The striker was left open in the LA penalty box, and Erick Friberg was able to find the lone striker with a low, in-swinging cross from outside the box, and the former Galaxy striker placed the ball past Donavon Ricketts, to give the visitors an early lead. However, the goal scorer looked to have done his hamstring during the early celebrations, and Barrett, who was the Sounders only healthy striker, was replaced by Christian Roldan in the first minute of the match.

It wasn’t long till LA was back on level terms, as Gyasi Zardes equalised for the MLS Cup holders in the 13th minute. Sebastian Lletget won the ball on the D of the Seattle penalty box, before laying it off to Juninho, who was free down the right wing. The Brazilian lofted in a fantastic ball towards Zardes at the far post, and the USMNT striker poked the ball past Stefan Frei with a neat side-footed volley, to make the score 1-1 in under 13 minutes of the first half.

LA looked to have gained control of the match, but the visitors were not opting to sit back and defend, as Chad Marshall rose high to meet a Sounders corner, but Zardes was at the right place to block the powerful header that looked certain to give Sounders the lead again. Zardes then turned provided in the 29th minute as the youngster played a fantastic through ball into the captain, Robbie Keane, down the centre of the Sounders half, but the LA striker couldn’t set Dos Santos through on goal as Keane’s was intercepted.

Seattle thought they had regained their lead in the 30th minute when Zach Scott headed a fizzing ball past a dashing Ricketts, however the linesman already had his flag raised, and the goal was rightly disallowed for offside on Scott. Both sides failed to create many chances for the rest of what had been a dramatic opening half. LA dominated in possession for the remainder of the first half, but the hosts couldn’t create anything, despite their star filled side.

The second half started with the same pace and flare, as the first half did, as LA took the lead 90 seconds into the restart. AJ DeLaGarza broke down the right wing with too much freedom for Seattle’s liking, before playing in a low cross to a cluster of LA players inside the penalty box. Dos Santos laid the ball off for Keane, and the Irish striker made no mistake as Keane punished the Seattle defence, and made it 2-1 to the Galaxy.

Gonzalez almost gifted Seattle an equaliser in the 61st minute when the centre back’s terrible back pass was taken by Oniel Fisher, but the substitute’s shot from close range lacked any power behind it, and Ricketts made an easy save. Fisher’s miss proved costly as Giovanni Dos Santos bagged his first MLS goal for the Galaxy two minutes later. Keane set the Mexican striker through with a perfect pass, and LA’s latest Designated Player managed to beat the offside trap, before firing the ball past Frei into the far post with a fine finish, to open his MLS account, and to all but seal the game for the hosts.

Ricketts was the next player to have a defensive hiccup as the Jamaican keeper dropped a looping ball into a box of swarming Seattle players the 71st minute, Andy Rose pounced on the lose ball with a weak shot on target, but Robbie Rogers was there to make a goal line clearance. Moments later, substitute Alan Gordon almost made it 4 for LA as Lletget danced his way through the Seattle defence, before firing a low cross to Gordon at the far post, but the substitute somehow missed the goal, and his shot smashed off the post, and clear from danger. Zardes tested Frei again in the 78th minute as the winger burst his through on goal, before firing a hard strike at goal, but the Swiss keeper stood strong to save the shot.

Frei was called into action again as Juninho eased through the Seattle defence, before having a shot at Frei, but the Swiss keeper did excellent to tip the strike over the bar and out for a corner in the 88th minute. The result means that Seattle are now winless in their last five MLS games, whilst LA move up to second in the Western Conference.