On the Surface, Loss by Galaxy Is Trivial
There was some real soccer news reported in New Jersey on Tuesday, but it had only passing reference to the Los Angeles Galaxy’s 3-1 loss to the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in front of 19,111 at Giants Stadium.
According to the Bergen Record, Carlos Queiroz, the former Portuguese national team coach who currently coaches the MetroStars, has been offered a lucrative contract to coach in Japan’s J-League.
The team that supposedly will lure Queiroz away from Major League Soccer after less than one season is Nagoya Grampus 8, the Toyota-owned club whose own coach, Arsene Wenger of France, is leaving to coach Arsenal in the English Premier League.
That’s how things happen in the real soccer world--a high-profile Portuguese coach leaves an American club to replace a high-profile French coach leaving a Japanese team to join an English one. The news will be reported in all four countries. The MetroStars-Galaxy result will not be mentioned outside the United States.
And, considering MLS’ apparent impotence in avoiding such travesties as Tuesday night’s game, that should come as no surprise.
Midway through the MLS season, Giants Stadium tore up a perfectly fine grass field and replaced it with an artificial one in preparation for the NFL season. MLS fought the move but failed to stop it. That’s what happens when you are a minor league tenant in someone else’s stadium.
Soccer cannot be played on plastic, especially plastic decorated with American football markings. It looks ludicrous and is ludicrous.
But since the MetroStars have no choice in the matter, even though they are owned by billionaire John Kluge, they do the best they can. On Tuesday night, their best was far better than anything the Galaxy had to offer.
Intentionally playing without Cobi Jones, Mauricio Cienfuegos and Robin Fraser to prevent their being injured on the fake surface, and forced to use David Kramer in goal because Jorge Campos once again is off on World Cup duty with Mexico, the Galaxy (16-13) played like something dredged up from the Hudson River.
The loss was the Galaxy’s seventh in the last eight games and its 13th in the last 17 outings. First place in the Western Conference was again on the line and first place again went begging.
The MetroStars (15-14) scored in the 23rd minute when midfielder Tab Ramos passed to A.J. Wood down the right sideline, Wood crossed to Miles Joseph at the far post and Joseph slotted the ball home.
They made it 2-0 with 10 minutes left in the half when Roberto Donadoni (also reportedly leaving MLS for Europe) found Ramos, whose pass to Joseph caught Galaxy defender Manny Motajo flat-footed. Nothing new there. Joseph cut inside, shrugged off Motajo’s feeble challenge and had no trouble beating the ineffectual Kramer.
The second half saw much of the same thing. Columbian midfielder De Avila scored the third New York/New Jersey goal in the 55th minute, using the outside of his right foot to loop the ball over Kramer’s head after nominal defender Mark Semioli’s weak header failed to reach the goalkeeper.
The Galaxy’s lone response was a free-kick goal by Greg Vanney five minutes later.
