Three early goals proved to be too much for Charlotte FC to overcome, as The Crown fell 3-0 to the LA Galaxy Saturday night in Los Angeles.
The hosts opened the scoring in the eighth minute and refused to relent.
A strike by Galaxy forward Gabriel Pec ricocheted off the post before landing at the feet of teammate Lucas Sanabria, who knocked the ball into the back of the net.
Another goal three minutes later extended the lead for the Galaxy. It was once again a cross from Pec, this time setting up Brazilian striker João Klauss, who found pay dirt.
L.A. continued its scoring surge in short order.
Klauss intercepted a Charlotte pass and scored his second goal and the third for the Galaxy -- all within the game’s first 15 minutes.
Spirited efforts from Kerwin Vargas and Wilfried Zaha provided chances for Charlotte, though the shots were denied and sailed wide of the net, respectively.
A brilliant second-half save by Kristijan Kahlina prevented the Galaxy from extending their lead.
The second frame also featured the first-team debut of Crown Legacy product Morrison Agyemang. Head Coach Dean Smith subbed Morrison on to start the second half, and the 21-year-old defender played the remainder of the game.
The Crown return to action next Saturday night against Austin FC in their home opener. It marks the start of five straight home fixtures at Bank of America Stadium.
THE PARTY IS BACK
The Crown returns to action on March 7th at 7:30 p.m. against Austin FC. The first fans to arrive will receive the limited-edition party shirt presented by Ally.
