Galaxy Wary of Hot Graziani
It was a goal that killed off the defending Major League Soccer champions.
With the Cotton Bowl crowd baying for blood, with the score tied, 2-2, in the third-and-deciding game, and with only four minutes left, Ariel Graziani struck.
Dallas Burn forward Dante Washington had the ball to the right of the Fire net. He tried to get it across to Jason Kreis, the league’s top scorer in 1999, but Chicago goalkeeper Zach Thornton dived low to deflect it out of Kreis’ reach.
And straight to Graziani.
The long-haired Argentine hit it the first time. The ball flew over the grounded Thornton and hammered against the crossbar, bouncing sharply downward, behind the line.
Goal!
“I got a piece of it, but it went to Graziani,” Thornton said. “It was an unlucky play.”
Not in the Burn’s view.
It earned Dallas the victory and the series and gave the Burn a place in the Western Conference finals, Game 2 of which will be played today in the Cotton Bowl against the Galaxy. Los Angeles holds a one-game advantage in the best-of-three series.
“The game was all about momentum,” Dallas Coach Dave Dir said after his team had come from two goals down to beat the Fire. “Once we gathered the momentum and the fans got into it, it was just a matter of whether there was enough time.”
There was, but only because of Graziani’s uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time.
“Sometimes it seems that he isn’t involved, but the moment you leave him alone, he’ll burn you,” Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid said.
Los Angeles was burned by Graziani in Game 1 at the Rose Bowl. Leading, 1-0, with 15 minutes to play, the league’s top defense momentarily allowed the 28-year-old forward to slip through its lines.
A ball was lofted in to the striker and he made no mistake with his shot, beating goalkeeper Kevin Hartman from close range. It was Graziani’s third goal in four playoff games.
Schmid thought there was something tainted about this one, though.
“I don’t have a good seat on the bench,” he said, “so I can’t tell, but looking at the replay it looked as if when the ball was played over, Graziani was making his way back and then turning right away, so he was coming from an offside position.”
The goal stood, however, and the Galaxy needed a last-minute goal from Ezra Hendrickson to snatch a 2-1 victory.
Today, Graziani will be in front of his own fans, who are growing in number. Since coming to Dallas in a trade that saw popular Colombian midfielder Leonel Alvarez go north to the New England Revolution, he has captured the imagination of the Burn faithful.
Not to mention Dir.
“We’ve opened up enormously [on offense],” Dir said. “Earlier in the year, teams were aware that Jason Kreis was having a spectacular season, so they would concentrate on him to take away that avenue.
“Graziani opens things up in the box and gives Jason a dangerous partner up top.”
Schmid concurs.
“The Burn are a much tougher team to play against since his arrival,” he said. “He opens up more options.”
It was only in July that Graziani joined the league. Born Ariel Jose Graziani Lentini in Empalme, Argentina, he has spent most of his professional life away from his homeland.
Of course, it’s difficult to tell what that is. MLS lists his citizenship as “Argentinean, Ecuadorian and Italian.”
Known as “El Guazon,” the Joker, because of his lively personality and ready smile, Graziani started out with Newell’s Old Boys in the Argentine first division. From there, he went to Sport Boys in Peru and later Aucas in Ecuador.
It was in Ecuador that he finally became the player he is today. In 1996, he led the Ecuadoran league in scoring with 28 goals in 37 games while playing for Emelec. The following season, he netted 24 goals in 32 games.
He also obtained citizenship and was called up to the Ecuador national team. In 21 appearances, including this summer’s Copa America in Paraguay, he has scored 12 goals for his adopted country.
All this success brought him to the attention of Veracruz in the Mexican first division. The club acquired him in 1998, he did well there and was traded to Morelia, quickly becoming that team’s scoring leader in 1999.
Now-retired Kansas City Wizards and U.S. national team defender Alexi Lalas played alongside Graziani at Emelec a few seasons ago and was impressed by his ability.
“He’s a pure goal scorer, plain and simple,” Lalas said when Graziani joined MLS. “He has a knack for scoring goals. He uses his speed and he’s a guy who’ll be able to withstand the physical punishment of MLS. He’ll be a great addition to the league and whichever team he ends up with.”
That in itself was something of a farce.
He was assigned to the Revolution but lasted only three games before being swapped for Alvarez. It turned out to be a lucky switch--from a team that missed the playoffs to one that is in the final four.
“I feel very fortunate to be playing in Dallas now,” Graziani said. “New England had a very different style of play, I didn’t get as many [scoring] opportunities. In three games, I had maybe one clear chance to score.”
While the Galaxy has to worry about stopping Graziani--not to mention fellow strikers Kreis, Washington and John Jairo Trellez--the Burn might not have to pay quite as much attention to Cobi Jones.
The Galaxy winger was injured in Game 1 and missed several days of practice last week. He is listed as a “probable” starter, and even if he does play he is unlikely to be at 100%.
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Galaxy vs. Dallas
Today’s Game
Galaxy leads best-of-three series, 1-0.
* What: Game 2 of the Western Conference finals.
* Where: Cotton Bowl, Dallas.
When: Noon PST.
* TV: ESPN.
* Ahead: Game 3, if necessary, 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Rose Bowl.
* All-time playoff history: Galaxy leads, 3-2.
