Galaxy Just Can’t Come to Its Defense
For the Los Angeles Galaxy, Saturday’s loss to the Eastern Conference-leading Tampa Bay Mutiny, just plain smarts.
Too bad the Galaxy didn’t show its usual smarts during the game at Tampa Stadium. If it had, it would have swept the regular-season series against the team most folks figure it will meet in the MLS championship game in October.
As it is, the Galaxy conceded two goals in the opening six minutes, then gave up two penalty kicks in a two-minute span late in the game as the Mutiny avenged two earlier losses to Los Angeles.
“For the spectators, it probably was exciting, but for the coaches, especially the losing coaches, it was a nightmare,” Galaxy Coach Lothar Osiander said. “We gave away three goals and the referee gave them one.”
Others saw it differently.
“We gave them four goals,” said Los Angeles defender Dan Calichman.
Three or four? It didn’t matter. Either way, it was too many and unexpected from the Galaxy (13-5), which had the stingiest defense in Major League Soccer. It had allowed an average of only 1.4 goals a game.
“If our team scores three goals, I’d bet $10,000 we’d win,” Calichman said.
But the Mutiny (12-8) came out and played inspired soccer.
“We felt hungry,” said Mutiny defender Cle Kooiman. “Everybody was pretty tired physically [after four games in 10 days], but we got psyched up. We came out flying.”
In the fifth minute, playmaker Carlos Valderrama chipped a free kick into the box for Kooiman, who headed the ball in for his first goal of the season.
A minute later, Kooiman, chiefly responsible for marking Galaxy striker Eduardo Hurtado, again figured in the offense, getting his head to a well-placed corner kick from Martin Vasquez. Galaxy goalkeeper David Kramer got his hand to the ball but let it slip away, only to see Giuseppe Galderisi tap it in from close for a 2-0 Mutiny lead, much to the delight of the crowd of 13,131.
“We gave up two goals on set plays. That’s ridiculous. That’s just bad football,” Calichman said.
“We were still in the dressing room the first 10 minutes,” Osiander added. “Then we tried to make up for it.”
But not until after Mauricio Cienfuegos had added to Galaxy woes by steering a penalty kick wide of the left post in the 22nd minute.
After that, Cobi Jones took charge with his first MLS hat trick, two of the goals coming off passes from Hurtado in the 32nd and 60th minutes and the third off a Cienfuegos pass in the 69th.
“I said it before, sometimes the shots go in and sometimes they don’t,” Jones said. “Today, I was fortunate enough to have them go in.”
But the Mutiny answered . . . thanks to a little help from the Galaxy’s struggling defense.
Defender Manny Motajo fouled Mutiny midfielder Steve Ralston just inside the 18-yard box, giving the Mutiny a penalty kick in the 73rd minute that Valderrama scored on to make it 3-3. Osiander claimed the foul occurred outside the box.
“Being down in the score didn’t stop us,” said Valderrama, who seconds later was again standing over the ball at the penalty spot after Calichman had fouled Roy Lassiter from behind when the Mutiny forward broke in one on one against Kramer. Valderrama’s goal this time proved the game-winner.
“We need to play a little smarter on defense,” Jones said. “If guys are in the box, you have to let them shoot. You don’t take them down.”
Said Mutiny Coach Thomas Rongen: “Every time there’s some adversity, we seem to respond. . . . We showed true grit in the last 20 minutes. That’s the mark of a champion.”
