The week in five words

Keane's return is a winner.

What went well

The Galaxy won an MLS game for the first time since May 8, ending a seven-game winless streak, and it's no coincidence that Robbie Keane and Gyasi Zardes were back on the field. Keane scored a terrific opening goal, Zardes provided strong support on the flank, and Steven Gerrard assisted both strikes in the 2-0 Fourth of July triumph over visiting Vancouver.

That shutout was the Galaxy's second in six days. The team reached the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals for the fourth time in 10 years with a 1-0 triumph at Portland on Raul Mendiola's fifth-minute goal. The diminutive Mendiola is something of a lightning bug for LA, and he's been effective when he's seen first-team time.

What didn't

The Galaxy didn't offer a whole lot in attack aside from the two goals and a 26-yard Gerrard rocket that Vancouver keeper David Ousted dived to parry just before halftime. LA had more of the ball but less of the game in the first half, with Keane, atop a 4-2-3-1 alignment, seeing too little of the ball and Giovani Dos Santos making minimal impact. The Galaxy gave up possession too easily and was forced to fend off waves of Whitecaps attacks, and although it took charge in the second half, it was difficult to penetrate into Vancouver's box. Two goals is a start, but LA will need to be sharper on attack going forward.

They played a second-choice back four -- Robbie Rogers is out with an ankle injury, Jelle Van Damme was serving a yellow card-accumulation suspension, and Ashley Cole sat out after his red card in San Jose -- and some of the connections seemed frayed. Leonardo, who lost his starting job while recovering from an injury that lingered from preseason, struggled with the ball and on three occasions fed teammates who were under pressure, leading to quick turnovers. Jeff Larentowicz and Nigel de Jong weren't effective enough in slowing down the Whitecaps before halftime.

Embedded video for The Week in LA Galaxy: Adding goals ... to the shutouts and red cards

Quote of the week

“We're halfway into the season, and I'd probably give us a B-minus on the first half. But we haven't played our team the whole year. Hopefully, we can get through the next three or four games and have our team in good form when August comes around.” -- Bruce Arena recaps the first half and previews the second half of LA's season

The need-to-know facts

The Galaxy vaulted to fourth in the Western Conference, eight points behind FC Dallas, seven in back of Colorado and two behind Real Salt Lake. LA, the Rapids and RSL have two games in hand on FC Dallas.

LA hasn't gotten past the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals in 10 years. It takes aim at the final four at home July 20 against the Seattle Sounders. The Galaxy, champions in 2001 and 2005, dropped quarterfinals at Seattle in 2010 and 2011.

Robbie Keane's last goal had been on May 8, when he scored twice in the first half to prod LA to a 4-2 win over New England. He has five goals in just seven games this season.

Video of the week

Robbie Keane, just like that.

Embedded video for The Week in LA Galaxy: Adding goals ... to the shutouts and red cards

Winner of the week

Gerrard. The English midfielder is living up to the hype. He's the chief creator for LA, far more consistent than Dos Santos, and his ability to unlock space with perfectly weighted passes has been vital for the Galaxy's hit-and-miss attack.

Gerrard's work on both goals was sublime. His ball to set up Keane's goal was simple but savvy, a first touch redirect that sliced through Vancouver's defense and left the Irishman an open shot. His service for Larentowicz's header was pinpoint. We're seeing the best of Gerrard in MLS at the moment.

“Bruce Arena, he's trusting me further up the pitch, that's the key,” Gerrard said after the game. “I told him play me closer to Robbie Keane and the attacking players, and I'll make plays on the final third -- simple, I've done it all my career. I can't make plays from the edge of my box, so play me closer to the opposition goal, and I'll try and get goals and try and create goals.”

Loser of the week

De Jong. That's two weeks in a row one of the Galaxy's stars picked up a late yellow card for a late challenge near midfield, and then the referee changes the card to a red. Against San Jose, it was Cole, who took his second red card of the campaign. This time it was the Dutchman, who stuck his studs into Blas Perez's right leg, an infraction that certainly was worthy of a red card -- a yellow, too, might have sufficed -- but it's aggravating that the wrong card is first shown.

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Referee Robert Sigiba, in just his 11th MLS match, said in a written response to a written question from the media that it looked like a yellow-card offense from his angle and he changed it only after consultation with the other officials, apparently by headset. Even Arena acknowledged it “wasn't a good tackle” and that “you can pick your color card” to penalize it.

“I think tonight, it's valid to give a red card, but it's awkward when you show a yellow, then come back with a red,” Arena said. “I think Nigel has to show better judgment. I think he got elbowed on the play and got a little angry. But I don't think the tackle is a good tackle, by any means.”

De Jong has a worldwide reputation for hazardous challenges, but this was -- surprise! -- just his first red card with the Galaxy, although he served a three-game suspension for that brutal tackle in April on Portland's Darlington Nagbe, a foul that drew just a yellow card.

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Scott French is a Los Angeles-based reporter for FourFourTwo. Follow him on Twitter @ScottJFrench.