CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Joseph Paintsil had two goals, Matheus Nascimento also scored a goal and the LA Galaxy beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-0 on Friday night to snap a three-game winless streak.
LA (2-13-6), the defending MLS Cup champion, won for the first time since it beat Real Salt Lake 2-0 on May 31 to snap a 16-game winless streak to open the season. The Galaxy went into the game with 13 points, fewest in all of MLS.
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Los Angeles Galaxy forward Gabriel Pec, right, controls the ball while under pressure from Vancouver Whitecaps defender Tate Johnson (28) during the first half of an MLS soccer match Friday, July 4, 2025, in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Vancouver Whitecaps defender Édier Ocampo kicks the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Los Angeles Galaxy, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Vancouver Whitecaps forward Emmanuel Sabbi, center, jumps over Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Edwin Cerrillo, right, during the first half of an MLS soccer match Friday, July 4, 2025, in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Los Angeles Galaxy forward Matheus Nascimento, left, controls the ball during the second half of an MLS soccer match against the Vancouver Whitecaps Friday, July 4, 2025, in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Los Angeles Galaxy forward Joseph Paintsil, left, and Vancouver Whitecaps forward Jayden Nelson vie for the ball during the second half of an MLS soccer match Friday, July 4, 2025, in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)
The Whitecaps (11-4-5) have lost three of their last four. Vancouver is second in the Western Conference with 38 points, behind San Diego (39).
Edwin Cerrillo flicked a shot from 30 yards outs that was deflected by goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka and Nascimento put away the rebound with a first-touch finish to open the scoring in the second minute.
Paintsil made it 2-0 in the 60th. Gabriel Pec played an long arcing ball to the top of the penalty box, where Marco Reus tapped a first-touch pass to a wide-open Paintsil, who calmly flicked a shot inside the back post from the left side of the area.
Paintsil converted from the penalty spot in the 77th minute for his first career multi-goal game. The 27-year-old forward has three goals and one assist this season after he finished with 10 goals and 10 assists last season, his first in MLS.
Takaoka had five saves for Vancouver. Jayden Nelson was shown a yellow card in the 55th minute and another in stoppage time as the Whitecaps played a man down for the final few minutes.
Novak Micovic had a save for LA. The Galaxy had 55% possession and outshot Vancouver 12-6, 8-1 on target.
The Whitecaps beat the Galaxy 2-1 at home on March 2.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Los Angeles Galaxy forward Gabriel Pec, right, controls the ball while under pressure from Vancouver Whitecaps defender Tate Johnson (28) during the first half of an MLS soccer match Friday, July 4, 2025, in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Vancouver Whitecaps defender Édier Ocampo kicks the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Los Angeles Galaxy, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Vancouver Whitecaps forward Emmanuel Sabbi, center, jumps over Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Edwin Cerrillo, right, during the first half of an MLS soccer match Friday, July 4, 2025, in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Los Angeles Galaxy forward Matheus Nascimento, left, controls the ball during the second half of an MLS soccer match against the Vancouver Whitecaps Friday, July 4, 2025, in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Los Angeles Galaxy forward Joseph Paintsil, left, and Vancouver Whitecaps forward Jayden Nelson vie for the ball during the second half of an MLS soccer match Friday, July 4, 2025, in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)
ALEPPO, Syria (AP) — First responders on Sunday entered a contested neighborhood in Syria’ s northern city of Aleppo after days of deadly clashes between government forces and Kurdish-led forces. Syrian state media said the military was deployed in large numbers.
The clashes broke out Tuesday in the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid after the government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main Kurdish-led force in the country, failed to make progress on how to merge the SDF into the national army. Security forces captured Achrafieh and Bani Zaid.
The fighting between the two sides was the most intense since the fall of then-President Bashar Assad to insurgents in December 2024. At least 23 people were killed in five days of clashes and more than 140,000 were displaced amid shelling and drone strikes.
The U.S.-backed SDF, which have played a key role in combating the Islamic State group in large swaths of eastern Syria, are the largest force yet to be absorbed into Syria's national army. Some of the factions that make up the army, however, were previously Turkish-backed insurgent groups that have a long history of clashing with Kurdish forces.
The Kurdish fighters have now evacuated from the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood to northeastern Syria, which is under the control of the SDF. However, they said in a statement they will continue to fight now that the wounded and civilians have been evacuated, in what they called a “partial ceasefire.”
The neighborhood appeared calm Sunday. The United Nations said it was trying to dispatch more convoys to the neighborhoods with food, fuel, blankets and other urgent supplies.
Government security forces brought journalists to tour the devastated area, showing them the damaged Khalid al-Fajer Hospital and a military position belonging to the SDF’s security forces that government forces had targeted.
The SDF statement accused the government of targeting the hospital “dozens of times” before patients were evacuated. Damascus accused the Kurdish-led group of using the hospital and other civilian facilities as military positions.
On one street, Syrian Red Crescent first responders spoke to a resident surrounded by charred cars and badly damaged residential buildings.
Some residents told The Associated Press that SDF forces did not allow their cars through checkpoints to leave.
“We lived a night of horror. I still cannot believe that I am right here standing on my own two feet,” said Ahmad Shaikho. “So far the situation has been calm. There hasn’t been any gunfire.”
Syrian Civil Defense first responders have been disarming improvised mines that they say were left by the Kurdish forces as booby traps.
Residents who fled are not being allowed back into the neighborhood until all the mines are cleared. Some were reminded of the displacement during Syria’s long civil war.
“I want to go back to my home, I beg you,” said Hoda Alnasiri.
Associated Press journalist Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed to this report.
Sandbag barriers used as fighting positions by Kurdish fighters, left inside a destroyed mosque in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Burned vehicles at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
People flee the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
A Syrian military police convoy enters the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Burned vehicles and ammunitions left at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
