The Columbus Crew secured their first home victory of the season on Wednesday, defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 at Lower.com Field. Daniel Gazdag and Diego Rossi scored for the Crew, while Gabriel Pec netted a late goal for the Galaxy.

Gazdag opened the scoring in the 41st minute, followed by Rossi just after halftime in the 47th. Pec's goal in the 86th minute, coming off LA's only shot on target, gave the Galaxy a glimmer of hope, but it wasn't enough to avoid defeat.

The match was delayed by thunderstorms, with the kickoff pushed back by over two hours due to heavy rain. The weather continued to affect play once the game finally began.

With the win, the Crew (2-4-3, 9 points) improved to 1-1-2 at home. On the other hand, the Galaxy (3-3-3, 9 points) avoided being shut out for the first time in 18 matches, thanks to Pec's well-taken goal. The strike came off a perfect setup from Joseph Paintsil, who provided the assist that allowed Pec to beat goalkeeper Patrick Schulte at the near post for his first goal of the season. Pec almost had a second just two minutes later, but his shot bounced off the crossbar.

Gazdag's goal came a year and 11 days after he was traded from the Philadelphia Union to Columbus. The Crew capitalized on a turnover from the Galaxy when Dylan Chambost passed the ball to Hugo Picard, who sent in a low cross into the box. Gazdag flicked the ball into the net with the outside of his right foot to put the Crew up 1-0.

Rossi's fourth goal of the season came shortly after the restart, as he finished off a well-worked team move. Taha Habroune threaded a ball through to Max Arfsten on the right wing. Arfsten advanced into the box, made a quick crossover dribble, and passed it to Rossi, who struck a shot with his left foot into the back of the net.

The Galaxy struggled to create much in the first half, with their only shot attempt coming in the 45th minute when Pec's strike from the right side of the box went wide. The absence of leading scorer Joao Klauss, who is sidelined with a foot injury, was keenly felt as LA failed to mount a significant offensive threat.

Columbus had several opportunities to add to their lead in the opening half, with Arfsten's shot saved by Galaxy goalkeeper James Marcinkowski in the 7th minute and Rossi and Arfsten both coming close in the following minutes. The Crew finished the first half with nine shots, dominating possession and creating more chances than their visitors.

With the victory, Columbus Crew will look to build momentum as they continue their season, while LA Galaxy will seek to regroup following a disappointing performance on the road.

-Field Level Media/Reuters