Beating Chivas Becoming Old Hat for Galaxy
Chivas of Guadalajara is said to be the second-most popular sports team in Los Angeles after the Dodgers, in terms of number of fans.
If so, the Galaxy must surely be rising in the estimation of the Mexican team’s numerous local supporters because it keeps beating Chivas.
It did so again Wednesday night, scoring an emphatic 3-1 victory in front of a loud and boisterous Rose Bowl crowd of 14,106.
And it was the Galaxy youngsters who did it.
They might have gone all Major League Soccer season without getting much publicity, but Gabe Eastman, Marvin Quijano and Jose Botello showed they’ll be starters before too long.
Botello scored the Galaxy’s third goal, driving a shot into the roof of the Chivas net to complete an excellent, three-player sequence in the 84th minute.
Quijano started the play in midfield, timing his pass to Seth George on the left flank to perfection. George sent a superb cross into the goal area and Botello volleyed it home like a veteran.
That effectively killed Chivas’ comeback attempt.
The Mexican team had cut the Galaxy lead to 2-1 in 73rd minute when Paulo Cesar Chavez caught Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman off his line and lifted a 25-yard shot over him and just under the crossbar.
Chavez, one of two Mexico national team players to have failed a drug test at last month’s Copa America in Paraguay but allowed to continue playing because FIFA said the laboratory was not officially sanctioned, received the ball from Manuel Rios, who had put the Galaxy defense under pressure.
For most of the night, however, it was Chivas that was being tested.
George, the former UCLA striker, opened the scoring in the 25th minute when he steered a pass from Clint Mathis into an empty net after Mathis had used his speed to get to a loose ball before Chivas goalkeeper Gustavo Sedano.
Ezra “E.Z.” Hendrickson doubled the Galaxy’s advantage with a marvelous solo run in the 52nd minute, beating three defenders before driving the ball to the right of the diving Sedano.
Tempers flared briefly late in the game after defender Steve Jolley had been fouled, but Kevin Stott, one of the top referees in the United States, quickly restored order.
Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid used the friendly to give his reserves playing time. In addition to Eastman, who played well on defense, Quijano and Botello, he gave minutes to Martin Vasquez of the Orange County Zodiac and Carlos Calderson of the San Diego Flash.
The Zodiac and Flash are the Galaxy’s affiliates in the A-League, in which Quijano and Botello also play for the MLS Project 40 (developmental) team.
To be fair to Chivas, the team was missing five of its top players. Claudio Suarez and Joel Sanchez were with the Mexico national team that beat Brazil, 4-3, in the Confederations Cup final in Mexico City. In addition, Luis Garcia, Alberto Coyote and Osvaldo Sanchez were said to be injured.
All the same, the Galaxy wasn’t at full strength either.
Robin Fraser and Cobi Jones were on the bench, having just returned from Guadalajara, where the U.S. national team defeated Saudi Arabia Tuesday to earn third place in the Confederations Cup.
The Galaxy also defeated Chivas, 5-4 on penalty kicks after a 0-0 tie, in front of 27,103 at Soldier Field in Chicago in 1997.
