New cast keeps Galaxy even
A year that promises several surprises started off with a few on Sunday as the Galaxy held the defending Major League Soccer champion Houston Dynamo to a 0-0 tie in Texas in the season opener for both teams.
It wasn’t so much the result that raised eyebrows, but the way in which the Galaxy achieved it -- with a lineup featuring new players in several positions.
Goalkeeper Joe Cannon made his Galaxy debut and pulled off a couple of crucial saves. Striker Nate Jaqua also played his first game for Los Angeles and, with a little better aim, might have notched his first goal.
Newly signed Ian Russell started at right back. Rookie Ty Harden started alongside him in the center. Nathan Sturgis stepped into the defensive midfield role normally occupied by Peter Vagenas and seldom put a foot wrong.
Another rookie, Robbie Findley, came on in place of Cobi Jones for the final 30 minutes and immediately showed all sorts of promise.
Add in a flawless performance by left back Ante Jazic, with the Canadian international almost completely stifling Dynamo winger Brian Mullen, and it amounted to a solid start for the Galaxy. That, certainly, was Coach Frank Yallop’s assessment.
“The first competitive game is always difficult,” Yallop said by telephone from Robertson Stadium. “All in all, I look at the performance as a very good one. We should have scored, but I was real proud of the guys the way they battled and fought and at least got something out of the match.”
One point on the road is said to be worth three at home, so from that standpoint the Galaxy did not come away empty-handed as it heads into its home opener on Thursday against FC Dallas at the Home Depot Center.
Even better than the point, however, were the individual showings.
“To keep someone like Brian Mullen that quiet for 90 minutes was really good,” Yallop said of Jazic.
Sturgis, who along with Galaxy teammate Kyle Veris will be representing the U.S. in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Canada this summer, did equally well in containing Houston dangerman Dwayne De Rosario.
“Nathan had a great game,” Yallop said. “He did well. Ty Harden was excellent as well.”
Each team took 11 shots, but the closest either came to scoring was when Jaqua got around Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad and hammered a rising shot in the fifth minute that hit the side netting, only a foot or so off target. Landon Donovan looked dangerous at times, but his finishing was absent.
“We put Landon in position to score two or three goals,” Yallop said. “If we do that week in and week out, he’s going to score a lot of goals.”
Findley enlivened things on his debut.
“Robbie lives on the edge a little bit,” Yallop said of the former Oregon State player who was pulled down from behind by Houston defender Ryan Cochrane on a 76th-minute breakaway. Referee Abiodun Okulaja red-carded Cochrane for the foul, leaving the Galaxy with a man advantage for the last 14 minutes.
“I felt our guys did a good job of trying to play the right way,” Yallop said. “That was important to me. They applied themselves well. Our game sharpness and game fitness weren’t quite there, but all in all we’re happy with the point.
“The individual performances were good. Collectively, the team can obviously play a little bit better, but I look forward to Thursday night.”
Jones reported from Los Angeles.
