Ghanaian winger Joseph Paintsil was the hero for LA Galaxy on Sunday evening as his decisive strike sealed a 2-1 victory over Orlando City SC in the Leagues Cup third-place playoff at the Dignity Health Sports Park.

The Black Stars forward was lively throughout the match, constantly unsettling Orlando’s defense with his pace and direct play.

Galaxy struck first through former Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus in the 9th minute, but Orlando City leveled in the 60th minute courtesy of Martín Ojeda.

Just six minutes later, Paintsil produced the moment of magic—cutting inside before unleashing a low curling effort from the edge of the box that beat the goalkeeper to restore LA Galaxy’s lead.

">https://twitter.com/MLS/status/1962284289862533589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2025

— (@MLS) August 31, 2025

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The strike ultimately proved decisive as LA Galaxy clinched third place in the competition, securing qualification for the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup.

Paintsil, 26, played the entire game and was hailed as one of the standout performers.

The winger is now set to join the Black Stars camp in Accra on Monday, ahead of Ghana’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Chad (September 4) and Mali (September 8).