LOS ANGELES – It was ecstasy and vindication for Diego Polenta on Friday night at Dignity Health Sports Park.
The LA Galaxy’s Uruguayan center back captured the game-winning goal in the final moments of a contentious clash with the Houston Dynamo to help seal Los Angeles’ fifth consecutive victory. The match was short on intensity as both teams traded penalties to set up the deadlock, which was ultimately broken by Polenta’s header of a perfectly weighted Jonathan dos Santos cross in the 88th minute.
After driving his driven header past Joe Willis, his emotions were there for the crowd to see, and in the postgame, Polenta reflected on how much the goal meant to him.