Galaxy Treats MetroStars With Kid Gloves--and Still Wins
The kid did all right.
With less than four minutes to play, the score tied, 2-2, and the Giants Stadium crowd of 29,380 baying for victory, Clint Mathis found a way to silence them all.
Taking a pass from Cobi Jones, Mathis, a 21-year-old rookie from Conyers, Ga., by way of the University of South Carolina, glanced up, faked Tony Meola into leaning to his right and fired the ball to his left.
The goal was Mathis’ first in Major League Soccer and earned the Galaxy an improbable 3-2 victory over the New York/New Jersey MetroStars.
It also left Los Angeles unbeaten at 4-0 and the MetroStars, who were playing their home opener, winless at 0-3.
“It feels great, especially at this level,” a still somewhat breathless Mathis said afterward. “It’s completely different from college.”
Alfonso Mondelo, the MetroStars’ coach, might quibble with that. He was so angry at his team having surrendered a 2-1 lead against a Galaxy team reduced to 10 men for most of the second half that he ripped into his players.
“If this doesn’t hurt our pride and our character, nothing else will,” Mondelo said. “There was no excuse for our performance today. We had everything in our favor at 2-1. I think this team has a fear of winning.
“All in all, it’s the worst performance of any team I’ve ever been associated with.”
Strong stuff, but Alfonso had reason to be unhappy.
The MetroStars, beaten, 3-2, by the Galaxy at the Rose Bowl two weeks earlier, again were unable to cope with Los Angeles’ speed and quick passing. Meola did what he could, but the defense in front of him was slow and the midfield virtually nonexistent.
Former Galaxy striker Eduardo Hurtado assisted on Jim Rooney’s goal in the 43rd minute and scored in the 59th to make it 2-1, but the Galaxy attack always looked sharper.
Coach Octavio Zambrano’s fast-break offense has netted 10 goals in four games, but it was the play of the team’s captain that impressed Zambrano the most.
“I have to give credit to all the guys, but particularly to Dan Calichman,” Zambrano said. “His personality, strength, character, everything you would want from a game like this, we got from our captain. You need guys like him. Those are the guys you want to go into battle with.”
There was no lack of effort by any Galaxy player, in fact. Mauricio Cienfuegos made a surprise start despite still feeling the effects of an ailing back and did well enough to keep Wellington Sanchez from making his Galaxy debut.
Jones, meanwhile, is showing no sign of slowing. He scored his third goal and picked up his fourth assist.
Meola found himself busier than he would have liked in the first 45 minutes as the Galaxy constantly shredded the Metrostars’ back line.
The ’94 U.S. World Cup goalkeeper did well to block a shot by Jones in the 16th minute when the winger broke through one-on-one against the keeper. Seconds later, Meola was forced to repeat the save, this time denying Welton.
But he was powerless when the two combined in the 23rd minute. Welton broke through on the right, crossed the ball to Jones, sprinting down the center, and Jones side-footed it into the net from close range.
Esse Baharmast, the only U.S. referee selected to officiate at the World Cup this summer, was quick to show his cards. He dished out four yellows and one red, the latter to Galaxy defender Robin Fraser for a hard but apparently clean tackle in the first minute of the second half that appeared to change the course of the game.
The MetroStars seemed set to win once Hurtado had given them the lead, but a shot by Ezra Hendrickson in the 70th minute was blocked by Meola only to strike defender Mark Semioli and bounce into the net to make it 2-2.
All that was left was for Mathis to provide the late game-winner.
“The kid has something special; I’ve always said that,” Zambrano said. “I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him yet.”
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In other MLS games:
Miami 2, Kansas City 1--Despite allowing a late goal by Paul Wright that forced a shootout, the Fusion (2-2) prevailed over the Wizards (2-2) before 11,247.
John Maessner and David Vaudreuil scored in the shootout for Miami.
Fusion goalkeeper Jeff Cassar made three saves in the five-round shootout and forced a fourth Kansas City attempt wide right. Only Wizard midfielder Preki was able to beat Cassar, now 2-0 in shootouts this season.
Henry Gutierrez scored a goal for Miami.
The Fusion played without star midfielder Carlos Valderrama, who served a one-game suspension for a red card he received last week.
Scott Garlick had a shutout in the shootout, making two sliding saves at Washington as D.C. United (3-1) defeated the Colorado Rapids (0-3), 4-3, before 14,009 in a rematch of last year’s MLS Cup. The United played without U.S. national team defender Eddie Pope, who was serving a one-game red card suspension. . . . Brian McBride’s goal in the 89th minute lifted the Columbus Crew (3-1) to a 3-2 victory over the visiting New England Revolution (0-3) before 10,121. . . . Ronald Cerritos’ goal in the 37th minute gave the San Jose Clash (1-3) their first victory of the season in beating the Chicago Fire (2-2) before 9,937 at Palo Alto. . . . Frankie Hejduk scored two goals as the Tampa Bay Mutiny (1-3) defeated the visiting Dallas Burn (2-1), 3-1.
