Ghanaian international Joseph Paintsil played a crucial role in LA Galaxy’s 1-0 win over Seattle Sounders, securing their place in the Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup final.
The victory earned Galaxy the MLS Western Conference title, and they will now face Eastern Conference champions New York Red Bulls on Saturday, December 7, 2024, in Los Angeles.
Since joining Galaxy from Belgian club Genk earlier this year, Paintsil has been in excellent form, contributing 10 goals and seven assists in 29 appearances in the league. In the playoffs, he added three goals and one assist, solidifying his importance to the team.
Although the match against Seattle was tough for Paintsil, who registered no shots on target and had just one successful dribble, his teammate Dejan Joveljic scored the match-winning goal in the 86th minute.
Paintsil will now aim to become the third Ghanaian to lift the MLS Cup, following in the footsteps of Jonathan Mensah and Harrison Afful, who won the title in 2020.
Overall, since his move to the MLS, Paintsil has scored 14 goals and provided eight assists in 36 games, helping Galaxy finish the regular season in second place with 19 wins, 7 draws, and 8 losses.
The former Tema Youth player also made a significant impact in the MLS Playoffs, scoring twice in their dominant 6-2 win over Minnesota United in the quarterfinals.
With the final approaching, Paintsil will be hoping to help LA Galaxy secure their sixth MLS Cup title on home soil.
Off the field, Painstil is exploring a career as a musician and released a gospel song titled “Blessing,” just before the semifinal clash.