Galaxy Goes Quietly to Defeat, 1-0
Away from soccer, Oscar Pareja’s pursuits are harmless enough.
The 32-year-old Dallas Burn midfielder enjoys the occasional game of tennis--nothing violent there, surely--and admits to being quite happy watching cartoons with his two young daughters.
A little salsa music, a few Chicago Bulls’ games on the TV, that about sums up his off-field interests.
But put Pareja into a Major League Soccer game and the former Colombian national team player can inflict some damage. On Wednesday night, he set about trying to set an MLS record by fouling all 11 Galaxy opponents.
By halftime, his tally was up to three, with Simon Elliott, Cobi Jones and Ezra Hendrickson all having felt the bite of his sharp tackles. Pareja even had time to blast a shot that Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman managed to tip over the crossbar.
But it was Salvadoran defender Jorge Rodriguez who inflicted the most damage on the Galaxy, scoring the goal that gave the Burn a 1-0 victory in front of 11,744 at the Rose Bowl.
The 37th-minute strike originated deep in Dallas territory, where forward Jason Kreis sent a long ball downfield to Ariel Graziani. Dallas’ leading scorer sent a cross in from the left and Rodriguez, having eluded Greg Vanney, jumped to power a downward header past Hartman for the only goal of the night.
It proved to be more than only a game-winner, it clinched a place in the MLS playoffs for the Burn (13-14-4).
Dallas had not won at the Rose Bowl since 1997, losing six consecutive games, so the victory left Burn Coach Dave Dir seeking Biblical comparisons.
“It’s been a long time since this team has won here,” he said. “I feel a little bit like the parting of the Red Sea tonight and I’m glad Moses was here and gave us a little path through.”
In the second half, Pareja soon added Seth George to his list of victims, but the Galaxy (14-9-8) played a bit tougher in the second 45 minutes as it struggled in vain to find the tying goal.
“I didn’t think we came into the game with a good mentality,” Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid said. “That’s my fault. I’ve got to take the blame for whatever reason we came out flat.
“In the second half I thought we played better, created some chances but didn’t score. The game plan was perfect for them.
“They played very defensive, they got a goal on their one chance in the first half and they basically sat on it.
“We couldn’t break them down.”
Schmid denied that the Galaxy, with a first-round playoff series against the Tampa Bay Mutiny already clinched, showed no desire because it didn’t need to win.
“I don’t think either team showed a lot of desire in the first half,” he said. “That’s what was so disappointing for us. I don’t think they were tearing out any trees on the field. They weren’t exactly running around with a bunch of energy.
“They wanted to give the game to us but we didn’t want to take it.”
Dallas had given up 10 goals in its previous two games, but its defense, well-supported by its midfield, was able to shut out the Galaxy.
Pareja was taken out of the game in the 88th minute to a chorus of boos from Galaxy fans, who recognized his value to the Burn.
“He was cramping and he asked to come off,” Dir said.
“Our possession game is totally different when he’s on the field. I think he changes a lot of our composure, too, because he’s an experienced player. We’ve actually gone pretty young this year, so his leadership and being a veteran seems to settle us down at the right times.”
Schmid won’t dispute Pareja’s value.
“He’s an important player for them, he connects for them, he gives them composure on the ball, he’s certainly their playmaker. Today, because they tried to play a 3-4-3 [formation], I thought he was less effective than he has been in the past against us.
“But he’s certainly a good player.”
Around the MLS
The Chicago Fire wrapped up the MLS Central Division title, with Hristo Stoitchkov scoring a goal and adding two assists in a 3-1 victory over Columbus before 7,075 at Chicago. . . . Miklos Molnar’s goal five minutes into the second half gave the Kansas City Wizards a 1-0 victory over the New England Revolution before 7,709 at Foxboro, Mass.
