Ten-Man LA Galaxy Hold New York City FC to 1-1 Draw After João Klauss Scores in Second Minute

João Klauss did not waste any time introducing himself to the Dignity Health Sports Park crowd. Two minutes into the MLS season, the Galaxy's new striker was wheeling away in celebration. The next 90-plus minutes were a lot less fun for the home side.

The LA Galaxy and New York City FC drew 1-1 on Sunday in a sold-out home opener in Carson, with Klauss scoring in the 2nd minute and Nicolás Fernández leveling from the penalty spot in the 66th after Emiro Garcés was sent off. Both clubs open the season at 0-1-0 with a point apiece, in front of 25,025 fans.

A Dream Start for Klauss

The opener was quick and clean. According to the Galaxy, Joseph Paintsil slipped the ball into the box for Marco Reus, who spun and laid it off to Klauss. The striker finished left-footed from the center of the box into the bottom right corner. It was his first goal for the club in what the Galaxy called his debut at Dignity Health Sports Park.

"I can't say words to describe my feeling in this moment. It was amazing," Klauss said. "So in my first game in front of the fans and with 85 seconds or something I score my first goal, it was magic."

Then New York City took the ball and kept it. Pascal Jansen's side finished with 64.5 percent of possession and completed 548 passes to LA's 269, but the visitors spent most of the first half circling without biting. Hannes Wolf dragged a left-footed shot just wide in the 15th minute. Fernández sent one a bit too high from distance in the 29th and had a low effort blocked in the 39th.

The Galaxy, meanwhile, carried the sharper threat. Gabriel Pec forced Matt Freese into a save in the 18th minute and twice more in first-half stoppage time. Reus tested Freese from distance in the 35th. LA went to the break up 1-0, and the plan looked like it was working.

The Turning Point

Garcés was booked for a bad foul in the 36th minute, and that card hung over everything that followed. Galaxy coach Greg Vanney knew it, too.

In the 60th minute Fernández drew a foul in the box, with the penalty conceded by Garcés. A VAR decision in the 62nd minute went New York City's way, and Garcés was shown a second yellow card in the 64th, leaving LA with 10 men. Per the Galaxy, the second caution came out of that same foul.

"We actually had Maya standing right next to me ready to go in for him. I just needed one more stoppage and it was happening," he said. "So, yeah, unfortunately the timing was the timing."

Fernández stepped up in the 66th minute and sent a left-footed penalty into the bottom left corner. One-all, and suddenly the hosts were hanging on.

Ten Men, Thirty Minutes

Vanney made the switch he had been waiting to make, sending on Maya Yoshida for Reus and John Nelson for Julián Aude in the 67th minute. New York City smelled blood. Kevin O'Toole went close from outside the box almost immediately, and Agustín Ojeda fired just over from the center of the box in the 70th.

The Galaxy still found moments. Paintsil forced Freese into another save in the 71st minute, and he headed a Pec cross wide in the 90th.

The visitors' best chances came late. Keaton Parks, back from injury according to New York City, came on in the 74th minute and headed a Fernández cross narrowly wide in the 80th. Wolf sent one just past the post after a set piece in the 85th. Then, in the second minute of stoppage time, Fernández played a one-two with Parks and sent a left-footed shot just wide. The Galaxy survived seven minutes of added time and held on for the point.

The Standouts

João Klauss scored on his only shot, and Vanney liked plenty more than the goal.

"His work rate, commitment to the group, the goal, some other moments where he's just strong and holds up the ball and gives us that extra piece, all very good," Vanney said.

Matt Freese was the busiest man on the field. Five saves, three of them on Pec, kept New York City alive long enough for the penalty to matter.

Gabriel Pec put all three of his shots on target.

Nicolás Fernández was New York City's engine: four shots, the penalty and the cross that nearly set up Parks.

Justin Haak made his LA Galaxy MLS regular-season debut against his former club, per the Galaxy.

Stats That Matter

• Possession: New York City 64.5 percent, LA 35.5 percent.
• Passes: New York City attempted 620, LA attempted 348.
• Shots on target: LA 6, New York City 1. The visitors' only shot on target was the penalty.
• Saves: Freese 5, Novak Micovic 0.
• Clearances: LA 24, New York City 11.

What It Means

A point is a point, and both coaches will take something from this one. New York City dominated the ball but managed just one shot on target from 10 attempts, which is a problem Jansen will want fixed before a trip to the Philadelphia Union on Sunday, March 1. The club also handed a debut to new signing Kai Trewin, and Drew Baiera made his MLS debut off the bench.

The Galaxy turn quickly to the Concacaf Champions Cup, hosting Sporting San Miguelito in the second leg of their opening-round tie on Wednesday, Feb. 25. They return to league play against Charlotte FC on Saturday, Feb. 28, and the club said Garcés will miss that one after his second yellow card. Vanney was frank about what went wrong, saying the team struggled to get the ball to its attackers: "That was disconnected tonight."

Closing Take

Think heist movie: crack the vault in scene one, then spend the runtime trying to get out of the building. LA had the early punch, New York City had the ball, and one yellow card too many flipped the whole script. The Galaxy will feel they let a win slip, and New York City will wonder how 620 passes produced one shot on goal.

Haak summed up the mood in the home locker room.

"I think today especially we showed really good character to still come away with a point in a difficult situation going down a man," he said.

Not a masterpiece, but a point earned the hard way still counts.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Postgame quotes and club notes as reported by the LA Galaxy (lagalaxy.com); club notes from New York City FC (nycfc.com).