Gabriel Pec has LA Galaxy on the verge of locking down the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference thanks to a standout Matchday 34 performance that earned him MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra honors.
The Brazilian winger scored a goal and added two assists in LA's 4-2 home win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC, extending their lead atop the West to seven points.
Pec, acquired last winter from Vasco da Gama for a reported eight-figure transfer fee, now has 13g/12a. He's just the fifth Galaxy player to produce at least 25 goal contributions in his debut season, and the first since Zlatan Ibrahimović in 2018. He's the only first-year player in MLS this season with at least 25 goal contributions while boasting the highest pass completion percentage (89.7%) among all players with 10 or more assists.
Pec's assist on fellow 2024 signing Joseph Paintsil's 10th goal of the season gave the Galaxy four players – Dejan Joveljić (14), Pec (13), Riqui Puig (11) and Paintsil (10) – with at least 10 goals in the same season, a first in MLS history.
Pec is the first Galaxy player to receive the MLS Player of the Matchday award since Billy Sharp in Matchday 33 of the 2023 season. Following Portland Timbers star Evander's recognition last matchday, Brazilian players have won the award in back-to-back matchdays for the first time in league history
The Galaxy are back in action on Saturday, Oct. 2 when visiting the Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park (9:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
The MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra is selected each matchday of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while an X (formerly known as Twitter) fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio, and online media.
