Kramer Makes It Happy Birthday
Jorge Campos decided to celebrate fellow goalkeeper David Kramer’s 24th birthday Thursday by taking the day off. He was still exhausted from playing in the Olympics, Mexico’s national team keeper explained, and the Galaxy didn’t argue.
As a result, Kramer took the field at Mile High Stadium, knowing his opponent 100 yards away was Chris Woods, the former England national team goalkeeper, now playing for the Colorado Rapids.
On paper, it was no match. But check the score: Galaxy 3, Rapids 2, in a shootout that went eight rounds. And the star of the game was none other than Kramer.
It is difficult to figure out the former Fresno State player. During regulation, he sometimes looks extremely unsure of himself, making only the occasional good save. In shootouts, however, he has been outstanding, and Thursday night was one example.
After a seesaw game that saw numerous chances created at both ends, regulation ended with the score tied, 2-2, forcing the circus act Major League Soccer calls the shootout.
After each team had had seven chances to score, one-on-one from 35 yards out and within five seconds, they were tied, 3-3. Kramer blocked three of Colorado’s shots and forced U.S. national team defender Marcelo Balboa to steer his attempt wide right.
Twice, the Rapids had a chance to win it. First Kramer denied Denis Hamlett, then made Balboa rush his effort. Finally, the Galaxy’s Chris Armas put the crowd of 9,310 out of its misery by beating Woods with a shot that slipped in just inside the left post to give Los Angeles the victory.
“I saw the goalie [Woods] diving the same way every time, so I just tried to slip it by him on the left,” Armas said. “I missed a chance during the game, so maybe I redeemed myself there.”
The victory improved the Galaxy to 14-5 and opened slightly more breathing room atop the Western Conference. The Dallas Burn had closed the gap to one point earlier in the week, with the Kanas City Wiz only two points out. Colorado fell to 9-14.
“We probably should have ended the game a lot sooner,” said Galaxy defender Robin Fraser, one of four Los Angeles players who missed in the shootout. Fraser’s shot was saved, as was Eduardo Hurtado’s and Greg Vanney’s. Guillermo Jara hit the left post. The only Galaxy players to find the net were Jorge Salcedo, Cobi Jones, Mauricio Cienfuegos and, of course, Armas.
“I think we can take some solace in the fact that we played better than we’ve been playing,” Fraser added.
Galaxy Coach Lothar Osiander wasn’t quite as upbeat about the result, however, especially with the team earning only one point for the shootout win as opposed to three for a win in regulation.
“We gave away two bad goals again, as usual,” Osiander said. “They are a hard team to play. I thought we played with more bite than we did the last two or three games, but we still gave away goals.”
The Galaxy fell behind in the ninth minute went Rapids’ winger Chris Henderson floated a cross in from the left sideline, South African striker Shaun Bartlett headed it down into Jean Harbor’s path and Harbor hammered it home.
In the 25th minute, Cienfuegos helped tie the score when he split the Colorado defense with a perfect pass and watched as Hurtado buried the ball in the back of the net.
The Rapids regained the lead in the 50th minute when Bartlett sent a cross in from the left and Balboa, rushing in at full steam, bundled both Fraser and the ball into the net. The Galaxy’s response was almost instantaneous. Harut Karapetyan, a long-shot specialist with the kick of a mule, let fly from about 25 yards and the shot flew past the diving Woods into the upper right corner of the net.
In the end, it was up to Kramer to save the day.
And his birthday.
