Galaxy clinches playoff berth but is unsatisfied with 1-1 draw
Galaxy forward Robbie Keane and Sounders midfielder Gonzalo Pineda react after Keane scored in the first half Sunday night in Seattle.
The Galaxy clinched a berth in Major League Soccer’s postseason by playing Seattle to a 1-1 draw Sunday before a crowd of 56,097 at CenturyLink Field. But it may have let a bigger prize get away when Chad Barrett scored the Sounders’ lone goal with less than two minutes remaining in added time.
“We’re a team that’s expected to be in the playoffs,” Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena said. “Obviously it’s an achievement for the team in such a competitive league. That’s good.
“But we certainly want to accomplish a little bit more.”
Barrett’s late goal will make that more difficult since a tie, rather than a win, cost the Galaxy two points in the standings. That will slow the team’s chase for home-field advantage in the postseason, which goes to the team with the league’s best record.
Heading into a two-week international break the Galaxy is atop the Western Conference standings with 51 points, same as the New York Red Bulls, who lead the Eastern Conference. However New York has four games left, the Galaxy just two.
And in the conference race, where the top two finishers will have the home-field edge, there are three other teams within three points of the top. And all of them have more games remaining than do the Galaxy.
“I’m disappointed we didn’t win the game,” said Galaxy captain Robbie Keane. “Two points dropped.
“We deserved the three points that way we defended. But it wasn’t to be.”
The Galaxy took a 1-0 in the 36th minute when Keane turned a Seattle giveaway into his team-leading 17th goal of the season. The Sounders, who dominated play in the second half, got the equalizer off a corner kick when Brad Evans headed a cross-goal pass to Barrett, who nodded it in.
“I just wish we would have held out for a couple of more minutes,” defender Omar Gonzalez said.
Added a disappointed Keane: “We have to stop giving away corners in the last minute of the game. When you put everybody in the box it’s always going to be dangerous.”
Wire reports contributed to this story.
