Galaxy ties Kansas City, 1-1, but Bruce Arena isn’t happy

Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena found little to be happy about in his team’s chilly 1-1 draw with Sporting Kansas City on Sunday.

“This game, I’m not going to look at at all,” he said. “We’re going to throw that one in the garbage can. We didn’t do well.”

Some of his players saw things a little differently.

Because despite going a goal down in the first half, going a man down in the second half and getting dominated in shots and possession in both halves, the Galaxy managed to extend their unbeaten streak to six games and earn a point on the road for a third straight week.

And they did it all without Robbie Keane or Steven Gerrard, which should be worth something.

“Today we showed a lot of character,” said midfielder Giovani dos Santos, whose score just before halftime gave him a goal in three straight games.

Mike Magee agreed.

“We’ve had so many games where things were going our way. Tonight’s one of those games where you find out what you’re made of,” he said. “And we didn’t back down.”

They certainly had their opportunities, starting in the 30th minute when Brad Davis latched onto a Graham Zusi header and knifed between defenders Ashley Cole and Jelle Van Damme before bending a left-footed shot just inside the far post to give Kansas City a 1-0 lead.

It marked the sixth time in eight games the Galaxy conceded the first goal. But the lead lasted just 12 minutes before Dos Santos tied the score.

The sequence started with Kansas City losing the ball deep in Galaxy territory, allowing Gyasi Zardes to pounce on it and head the other way. With Dos Santos streaking up the right flank, Zardes brought the ball to the edge of the midfield circle, then led his teammate with a long, low pass well behind the Kansas City defense. Dos Santos then cut diagonally into the box and chipped a soft shot over goalkeeper Tim Melia.

“The chemistry in the team is getting better,” Dos Santos said. “I knew straight away he was going to give me that pass. The play was in my mind before he gave me the [ball].”

The Galaxy’s game plan went out the window in the 70th minute, though, when Cole was given a pair of yellow cards. The first, for wasting time, came after referee Chris Penso ruled Cole had taken too long to complete a throw-in. Then seconds later Penso gave him a second yellow, and an ejection, following a sliding tackle on Benny Feilhaber.

“Once you go down a man,” goalkeeper Brian Rowe said, “you are just kind of holding on.”

The Galaxy (4-1-3) were able to do that despite the fact Kansas City had the ball twice as much as the Galaxy did and outshot them, 17-4.

“It seemed like everything was against us and we found a way to get a point,” said Magee, who wore the captain’s armband with Keane and Gerrard sidelined because of injury. “We probably played our worst. But we [did] what it took to get a result.”

Even Arena was able to find some redemption in that.

“Some days are going to look like this,” he said. “To grind out and get a point here is important. So we’re pleased with that.

“I don’t think we played well. But it’s a point and we’re going home and we’re not looking back.”