The LA Galaxy rode a pair of second-half goals to a 2-1 win over Minnesota United to advance to the MLS Cup Western Conference semifinals on Sunday night.
The victory for the No. 5-seed Galaxy sets up a road matchup with cross-town rival LAFC on Thursday, with the winner moving one win away from a spot in MLS Cup.
Minnesota, who kept Galaxy talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic in check for the most part, had the better of the chances in the run of play, but LA was first to score when Sebastian Lletget smashed home a first-time shot from a rebound to give the visitors a 1-0 lead in the second half.
Minutes later, Jonathan Dos Santos doubled the Galaxy's lead with a swerving shot from outside the penalty area that flew just past the outstretched arms of Vito Mannone.
The hosts pulled a goal back in the 87th minute when Jan Gregus buried his first-time shot from distance from a Darwin Quintero pass to cut the Galaxy lead in half.
Led by MLS defender of the year Ike Opara, the Minnesota United defense held Ibrahimovic in check after the striker scored 30 goals in the regular season, second most in MLS. Mannone did make a diving save on an Ibrahimovic shot moments after Lletget gave LA a 1-0 lead.
The Galaxy will now play LAFC in the Western Conference semifinals on Oct. 24 on at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles in another installment of the derby known as El Trafico.