Galaxy and Rapids meet out west
LOS ANGELES GALAXY v COLORADO RAPIDS
THE HOME DEPOT CENTER, Carson, Calif.
7:30 p.m. PT (FSC/FSE)
Sept. 8, 2007 (WEEK 23) / MLS Game #149
Fourteen points out of the final playoff spot with 11 games still to play, the Los Angeles Galaxy need to put an end to their six-game losing streak and reverse course immediately if they are going to get back to the MLS Cup Playoffs. It is a real six-pointer ahead on Saturday, however, as they take on the Colorado Rapids, who are currently tied for eighth in the overall table and the last available postseason place. The Rapids are one of the hottest teams in MLS, unbeaten in their last four games following a 10-game winless run. The Galaxy will also have to do it without Landon Donovan, away on national team duty for the USA's match with Brazil, while Rapids midfielder Pablo Mastroeni could be available for his club after he was replaced in the national team squad as a result of his illness suffered last weekend.
REFEREE: Ricardo Salazar. SAR (bench): Jose Corro; JAR (opposite): Frank Anderson; 4th: Kevin Stott
MLS Career: 62 games; FC/gm: 31.2; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 14; pens: 23
Games involving Galaxy: P10 W5 L3 T2; FC/gm: 32.8; Y/gm: 3.7; R: 1; pens: 5
Games involving Rapids: P8 W2 L3 T3; FC/gm: 31.6; Y/gm: 4.0; R: 2; pens: 2
INJURY REPORT: LOS ANGELES GALAXY - OUT: DF Chris Albright (R hamstring); MF David Beckham (R knee); MF Kelly Gray (R calf); DF Ty Harden (R hip); DF Ante Jazic (R ankle); QUESTIONABLE: MF Cobi Jones (R hip); DF Quavas Kirk (L foot); DF Abel Xavier (L knee); PROBABLE: FW Edson Buddle (L Achilles); DF Troy Roberts (R ankle); MF Peter Vagenas (R quadriceps); DF Kyle Veris (R hip) ... COLORADO RAPIDS - OUT: DF Dan Gargan (R knee ACL tear); QUESTIONABLE: MF Terry Cooke (L groin strain), FW Omar Cummings (L shoulder separation), DF Jordan Harvey (L ankle sprain), MF Pablo Mastroeni (illness); PROBABLE: FW Conor Casey (R knee swelling)
SUSPENDED: LA: Troy Roberts (through Sept. 9)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: LA: Kyle Martino ... COL: Mehdi Ballouchy, Facundo Erpen, Pablo Mastroeni, Brandon Prideaux
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: LA: Kevin Harmse, Ty Harden ... COL: Bouna Coundoul, Ugo Ihemelu, Mike Petke
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: LA: Landon Donovan (USA; v Brazil, Sept. 9)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (46 meetings): Galaxy 23 wins (2 shootout), 70 goals ... Rapids 18 wins (1 shootout), 49 goals ... Ties 5
AT LOS ANGELES (22 meetings): Galaxy 16 wins (1 shootout), 44 goals ... Rapids 4 wins (1 shootout), 18 goals ... Ties 2
• This is the third and final league meeting between the clubs this season, the first at The Home Depot Center. The Rapids have won both previous encounters this season, both played at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
• A year ago, the Rapids took the season series, winning three games - all by 1-0 scorelines - before the teams played to a scoreless draw in their fourth league meeting.
• The teams also played in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup, with the Galaxy taking a 3-1 win in extra time at The Home Depot Center (Kirk 45, Donovan 93, 115 - Mathis 3).
• The Galaxy haven't won in Colorado in league play since July 13, 2002, a span now of 10 games. The Rapids have won seven of those, including the last six.
• However, since that regular season win, the Galaxy have won two games in Colorado in the MLS Cup Playoffs - a 1-0 win on Oct. 9. 2002 and a 2-0 win on Nov. 5, 2005 - both victories putting the Galaxy into the MLS Cup Final, which they went on to win in both cases.
• Coaches record: Frank Yallop vs. COL: P16 W5 L8 D3 ... Fernando Clavijo v LA: P14 W9 L3 D2
2007 (MLS):
5/26: COL 1, LA 0 (Gomez 71)
8/26: COL 3, LA 0 (Casey 26; Clark 34; Petke 43)
• The Rapids won the first meeting between the clubs, defeating a 10-man LA Galaxy by the game's lone goal on May 26.
• The game turned midway through the first half, when Kyle Martino was sent off with a straight red card after getting tangled up with Herculez Gomez after the Colorado striker had the ball taken away in a tackle.
• The Rapids finally took advantage of their manpower situation in the 71st minute when Terry Cooke took the ball on the right and swerved in another of his trademark crosses. Gomez slipped in behind a pair of defenders and stooped to head home past Joe Cannon.
• The Galaxy nearly pulled level in the 83rd minute when a deflection left Nate Jaqua perfectly placed in front of goal with the ball at his feet. His low shot was stopped by Bouna Coundoul's fingertips but it escaped and rolled toward goal, only for the Colorado 'keeper to scramble back and claim it.
• Two weeks ago, the Rapids won for the third time on the trot and continued the Galaxy's misery, taking a 3-0 victory in Commerce City. Missing seven first-team players to injury with an eighth suspended, the Galaxy had just 16 available players, two shy of the allowed number. The Rapids exploded for three goals in a 17-minute span to put the game away before halftime.
• In the 26th minute, a neat touch from Jovan Kirovski sent Conor Casey free behind the Galaxy back line, and he went haring into the area. As a defender came over and goalkeeper Joe Cannon raced off his line, Casey cut inside and banged the ball home past a pair of retreating defenders in the six-yard box.
• Eight minutes later the Rapids doubled the lead. Terry Cooke was sprung down the right flank and swung in a low cross. A Galaxy defender saw it bounce off his foot right in front of goal, and Colin Clark lashed it home inside the right post for his first MLS goal.
• Two minutes before halftime Colorado made it 3-0. Cooke swung in a corner from the right, and Cannon barely got a fist to it as he tried to punch it away. The ball fell to the feet of Mike Petke, who poked it home.
• Here's Clavijo's team (4-1-3-2): Bouna Coundoul - Ugo Ihemelu (Tony Sanneh 57), Facundo Erpen, Mike Petke, Brandon Prideaux - Pablo Mastroeni - Terry Cooke, Mehdi Ballouchy (Herculez Gomez 57), Colin Clark (Daniel Osorno 82) - Conor Casey, Jovan Kirovski. Substitutes Not Used: Omar Cummings, Nicolas Hernandez, Jacob Peterson, Zach Thornton
• Here's Yallop's team (4-4-2): Joe Cannon - Chris Klein, Troy Roberts, Kyle Veris, Mike Randolph - Gavin Glinton, Mike Caso (Peter Vagenas 46), Josh Tudela, Kyle Martino (Cobi Jones 66) - Edson Buddle (Quavas Kirk 46), Alan Gordon. Substitutes Not Used: Steve Cronin, Carlos Pavon
LOS ANGELES GALAXY
The Los Angeles Galaxy saw their league losing streak hit six games, Real Salt Lake scoring two goals four minutes apart midway through the second half for a 2-1 win at The Home Depot Center last Saturday evening. The Galaxy still have 14 points from 19 matches, now four behind RSL (but with two games in hand), while holding the fewest points in Major League Soccer.
LAST MATCH
• The Galaxy were coming off their midweek penalty kick shootout loss in the SuperLiga final, looking for a first league win in eight games. Real Salt Lake were coming off just their third win on the year, a midweek win against Kansas City, aiming for back-to-back wins for the first time all season.
• It took the Galaxy just six minutes to open the scoring. Peter Vagenas and Landon Donovan played a neat one-two on the right and Donovan swung in a cross to the spot. Alan Gordon rose up to nod down the service past RSL 'keeper Nick Rimando.
• The Galaxy held the lead into the final half hour, then things started unraveling. First, on the counter, Andy Williams sent Robbie Findley in behind the Galaxy defense and he finished well against the club that had dealt him away in July for a 67th-minute equalizer.
• Four minutes later the Galaxy were trailing. Alecko Eskandarian put a free kick on target and Steve Cronin made the save, but Eddie Pope was there to knock home the rebound for the eventual game-winner.
• The Galaxy finished the game a man down when Troy Roberts was sent off with 12 minutes to play after being booked twice in the span of eight minutes.
• Pope's game-winner was his first goal since 2005. It was also the first time since Aug. 16, 2006 that RSL had won a game away from Rice-Eccles Stadium, and the first time since Aug. 19, 2006 that RSL had walked away with consecutive league victories.
• Galaxy head coach Frank Yallop made five changes to the team that lost 3-0 to the Colorado Rapids the previous Sunday. Steve Cronin made his first start of the season, coming in for Joe Cannon between the posts. Landon Donovan, Abel Xavier, Kevin Harmse and Peter Vagenas were all again available, coming in for Kyle Veris, Josh Tudela, Mike Caso and Gavin Glinton.
• Here's Yallop's team (4-4-2): Steve Cronin - Chris Klein, Troy Roberts, Abel Xavier, Mike Randolph - Landon Donovan, Kevin Harmse, Peter Vagenas (Gavin Glinton 88), Kyle Martino (Cobi Jones 65) - Edson Buddle (Carlos Pavon 70), Alan Gordon. Substitutes Not Used: Joe Cannon, Mike Caso, Josh Tudela, Kyle Veris
• "We had a great first half, I felt. We should have scored more than one goal. We had great chances that we didn't finish. And like always in football, if you don't finish your chances when you're on top, you usually get punished, and I think that's what happened here tonight," Yallop said. "It was disappointing. We hit the crossbar, and then Robbie scores with the equalizer, and then the winning goal was a mistake if you like. We put in the effort; there is no question in that. We did lose the game, and that was disappointing."
TEAM NEWS
• The Galaxy's last win came on July 4, a 2-0 home win against the Chicago Fire. The current six-game losing skid in one shy of the club record, set from May 6 to June 8 of last year. The eight-game winless run is two away from the club record, also set last season.
• "This is proud bunch of guys. We've been in this every couple of days for two months. The first half tonight - we've played about as well as we have in a long time. And we came out 1-0 in halftime. But, we have to take care of things in the second half," said Chris Klein. "They were opportunistic with their chances. We have to win these games. As Frank said, there is a proud group in the locker room, and we can hang out heads high. You can expect us to come out fighting again on Saturday."
• After scoring two penalties in that July 4 win, Donovan had a run of five games with club and country where he scored six goals from the penalty spot. But he has now missed his last two - the one against RSL following a save by Pachuca goalkeeper Miguel Calero in the penalty shootout in the SuperLiga final.
• "I looked at Landon and told him to bury it in there. And Landon has saved this team and our national team many, many times. And, he's the best player, in my opinion, that this country has ever had, and for him to step up and want to take that again shows the type of person he is, and the type of courage he has," Klein said. "He stood up in the locker room and took responsibility for it, and if we had one guy to take a penalty to put us into something, I think I would still choose Landon."
• After that miss, and after Cobi Jones saw a shot rattle off the crossbar, RSL went to the other end and scored the first of their two goals in the four-minute span.
• "I would say physically people were spent. Mentally is how we were staying in it," said Kyle Martino. "People were really sharp, really strong, just staying dedicated. I think when that goal snuck in off of a counter attack after Cobi hit the crossbar, I think it was like 'here we go again.' It was one of those moments where we were holding on with such little physical strength left that it almost crippled us."
COLORADO RAPIDS
The Colorado Rapids went on the road for the first time in four games but still extended their unbeaten run, getting a late goal to snatch a 1-1 draw against the Columbus Crew at Crew Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Rapids still have 28 points from 23 matches, still level with the Crew for the eighth spot in the MLS overall table and the last available place in the MLS Cup Playoffs, two points ahead of the Chicago Fire.
LAST MATCH
• The two teams came in tied for the final available playoff spot, but going in different directions. The Rapids had won three games in a row -- all at home, and all by shutout -- while the Crew were winless in their last four games.
• The home side took a vital lead just before the end of the first half. In stoppage time, a perfectly weighted through ball from Stefani Miglioranzi hit Eddie Gaven in stride as he snuck in behind the pulled-up Colorado back line. Gaven strolled into the area before slotting home past Bouna Coundoul to give the Crew the lead.
• The Crew missed a glorious opportunity to seal the game in the 67th minute when Alejandro Moreno rattled the post when he got in alone behind the Rapids defense, and Jacob Thomas somehow couldn't turn the rebound into the unguarded goal.
• The Rapids took advantage six minutes from the end. Herculez Gomez looped a pass to Mehdi Ballouchy on the right side, and he put in a cross in front of Crew 'keeper Will Hesmer where Conor Casey knifed between defenders and snapped home a header for his second goal in as many games to secure a share of the points.
• Rapids head coach Fernando Clavijo made one change to the team that defeated the Galaxy 3-0 the previous Saturday. Terry Cooke suffered a groin injury in training leading up to the match and did not travel, so Tony Sanneh made his first start in a Rapids uniform in his place.
• Here's Clavijo's team (4-4-2): Bouna Coundoul - Ugo Ihemelu, Facundo Erpen, Mike Petke, Brandon Prideaux - Mehdi Ballouchy (Nicolas Hernandez 91+), Pablo Mastroeni (Herculez Gomez 47), Tony Sanneh, Colin Clark (Jacob Peterson 71) - Jovan Kirovski, Conor Casey. Substitutes Not Used: Jose Cancela, Omar Cummings, Daniel Osorno, Zach Thornton
• "Sometimes you are lucky. We haven't been able to get lucky throughout the year. We create, we kept putting on pressure. We never got desperate. And finally we were able to find a way to finish," Clavijo said. "I thought that it was a well deserved point. I thought both teams worked extremely hard. I thought both teams created quality control of the game. We were able to score when we needed to, and they did too."
TEAM NEWS
• Since their 10-game winless run, which saw three draws along the way, the Rapids are now unbeaten in four games. But the draw against the Crew was the first away game in that stretch, and ended a three-game winning run.
• "It is easy from the outside to evaluate things from 90 minutes. I think that both teams, they could not score a better goal at better times. You go back to the second half, thinking about what you need to do. Not just what you need to do to score, but what you have to do to get the momentum back," Clavijo said. "I thought in the end we managed the time well. We created chances, and so did they. I thought that the game was good. Every time you get a point on the road, it is good. We came here to win, but unfortunately we were unable to. You can't be unhappy with a getting a point out of it."
• Clavijo had presented Conor Casey with a challenge to get back into the lineup, and the burly striker has now started three consecutive games, finally opening his MLS account with goals in the last two.
• "He scores the more difficult goal but misses the easy ones. But that's the game and you have to give all the credit to Conor because his work effort was outstanding," said Clavijo. "He was a force out there." Said Casey: "I had a few real good chances in the first half and did not put them away so it was nice to get the ball at the end and be able to tie it up."
• The Crew match started a stretch of four games out of five where the Rapids will be on the road. They have managed just nine points on the road out of a possible 33.
• "It was a great result for us. Any time you can get a point on the road, it is always good," said Herculez Gomez. "I think this game was more do-or-die for Columbus. We are still in charge of our own destiny. I think we came out with the right mentality, we never gave up. We kept fighting and getting the right things. We put the work in and it showed."
• It was also the last game of the year for Colorado against the teams they are currently in direct competition with for playoff positioning. Of the Rapids final seven games, four are against teams currently outside of the top eight in the MLS overall table.
• "It is how it is. It is that time of year right now. Both teams are trying to make that final stride to get into the playoffs, and it is an important game for both teams. It is a game that we had to get a good result out of it and I think Columbus is going to walk away very disappointed, especially being a goal up," Gomez said. "I felt that before they scored the goal, I thought that we had the better play, and I thought that after they scored the goal, I thought that we had the better play. So, I think it's justice that we got that goal."
• Pablo Mastroeni was originally expected to miss the match on national team duty for the USA's contest against Brazil on Sunday at Soldier Field, but after suffering the illness that forced him off just after halftime in Columbus, he was replaced in Bob Bradley's squad by Kansas City midfielder Kerry Zavagnin. He is listed as questionable on the Rapids injury report this week.
