Vorbe’s First Goal a Timely One for Galaxy in 2-1 Win
Back home when he was a kid growing up in Haiti, Sebastien Vorbe used to play soccer in the streets and vacant lots of his neighborhood every chance he got.
“I used to sneak out of school sometimes and play like three games in a day,” he said. “That was fun. That was my passion.”
Conditions, however, often were challenging.
“We had some fields where there were rocks and everything,” he said. “We played on the asphalt, where you couldn’t slide-tackle. If you slide-tackle, that’s it for you.
“We played everywhere, so I think that’s what makes me be able to play so many positions in a game.”
Just as well for Los Angeles, because Wednesday evening at RFK Stadium, Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid asked Vorbe (rhymes with orb) to play as his main striker, ahead of everyone, and Vorbe responded with the first Major League Soccer goal of his career.
That, plus a goal and a dramatic goal-line save by Cobi Jones, propelled the Galaxy to a 2-1 victory over defending MLS champion Washington D.C United in front of 17,486.
“Vorbe played very well up front and gave us another attacking option,” Schmid said. “It was a good goal. With Sebastien’s running style, people are surprised at his speed. He’s actually much faster than people think. He hit the ball well, but his speed is what helped him.”
The victory improved the Galaxy’s record to 8-4-7 going into Saturday’s game against the Burn at Dallas. D.C. United, meanwhile, fell further out of playoff contention and is 4-11-4.
“D.C. is the best last-place team in the league, for sure,” Schmid said. “Their record is never an indication of their quality. They’re a good team and every game against them is a battle.”
The Galaxy has won all three of those battles this season, by scores of 4-0, 2-1 and 2-1. Wednesday’s result clinched the season series for Los Angeles with one game remaining.
“I was pleased with us tonight,” Schmid said. “We finally scored some goals off the run of play, which we’ve had trouble with. We also created some other [scoring] chances. I think bringing Cobi into midfield in a wide position was a plus for us.”
D.C. United was without four of its starters: Marco Etcheverry and Jaime Moreno, who were with the Bolivian national team for its 4-2 World Cup 2002 qualifying loss to Venezuela in Caracas on Wednesday night, and U.S. national team players Ben Olsen and Carlos Llamosa, who are injured.
It was Washington that took the lead, however.
The goal came in the 19th minute when D.C. defender Jeff Agoos sent a free kick into a group of players in the Galaxy penalty area. Los Angeles failed to clear it and Carey Talley hit a shot over goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.
It took the Galaxy only 13 minutes to respond.
In the 27th minute, Jones sent a through ball for Vorbe to run onto and the Haitian forward fired his shot beneath the dive of D.C. goalkeeper Tom Presthus to tie the score.
It was the first Galaxy goal from the run of play in six games. The team’s previous three goals in those games had come off dead-ball situations.
Jones took care of that with a sparkling run and finish in the 62nd minute, scoring his fifth goal of the season but his first since April 1.
D.C. fought back, but was always vulnerable to the counterattack, especially from Luis Hernandez, who played well but failed again to collect his first MLS goal.
Jones saved the victory in the 85th minute when D.C. came within inches of scoring. A Talley header from a corner kick appeared headed for the back of the net when Jones leaped to head it onto the underside of crossbar. The ball bounced down but not across the line and Ezra Hendrickson kicked it out of danger.
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Galaxy defensive midfielder Danny Pena underwent surgery in Los Angeles for a torn ligament in his right knee. Pena, who will be sidelined for another four to eight weeks, already had missed the Galaxy’s last five games because of what was said to be a sprained knee.
