Caligiuri Has Best Defense
The handshake said it all.
Sigi Schmid sought out a weary Paul Caligiuri in the Galaxy’s postgame locker room and offered his hand Thursday night.
“Great job,” the Galaxy coach told his veteran defender. “Hell of a job tonight.”
Caligiuri’s defense played a major part in the Galaxy’s 1-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Mutiny in Game 1 of the best-of-three Major League Soccer quarterfinal series.
It was Greg Vanney’s penalty kick in the 61st minute that was the game-winner, though, sending most of the Raymond James Stadium crowd of 5,583 home disappointed.
In marking Mutiny forward Mamadou “Big Mama” Diallo, the league’s leading scorer this season, the 5-10, 175-pound Caligiuri gave up four inches and 15 pounds.
Caligiuri, 36, drew the assignment with rookie Danny Califf in Australia with the U.S. Olympic team.
On a night when the Galaxy’s defense was stickier than the humid Tampa night air, Caligiuri credited his teammates for shutting Diallo down.
“We all stepped into our roles really strong tonight,” Caligiuri said. “I had a lot of help, especially from Robin Fraser.
“But any time you step into Tampa, and face Big Mama, that’s a big job.”
Especially when you’re already missing two other starters--midfielders Peter Vagenas and Sasha Victorine--to Olympic duty and then you lose your goalkeeper in the game’s 39th minute.
Kevin Hartman had been kicked in the back of the head by Mutiny midfielder Steve Ralston during a scrum in the box almost 20 minutes earlier but remained in the game.
Hartman, who was diagnosed with a concussion, also suffered a concussion in January when he was training in Holland.
Thursday night, Hartman removed himself when he had trouble focusing downfield.
Hartman made the save of the game two minutes before getting kicked, however, when he dived to his right and, outstretched, punched out a hard shot by Tampa Bay midfielder Carlos Valderrama from about 20 yards out.
Vanney’s goal was created when referee Kevin Terry called Mutiny midfielder Ritchie Kotschau for a foul for tripping Galaxy forward Luis Hernandez from behind in the penalty area.
Vanney, who has now converted six of seven penalty kicks on the year, booted the ball to the left corner of the net, fooling Mutiny goalkeeper Scott Garlick, who was diving the other way.
“We’ve been creating chances but we’ve had trouble finding the back of the net,” Vanney said. “So each time you get a [penalty kick], it’s almost like you have to convert it.
“One to nothing, in the playoffs, that’s how it’s going to be.”
The conversion ended a 140-minute scoreless streak for the Galaxy, which ended the regular season with a pair of sluggish 1-0 losses.
The Mutiny, meanwhile, extended its postseason scoreless streak to 414 minutes, dating back to Oct. 5, 1997. Tampa Bay has also dropped seven consecutive playoff games.
Diallo nearly ended the scoreless skein in the 85th minute with a wild header that just missed to the right.
With three minutes remaining in regulation, Galaxy midfielder Mauricio Cienfuegos nearly broke it open with a pair of shots that, in order, bounced off the Mutiny goalkeeper and off the left post.
The final Mutiny threat came courtesy of Diallo, who nearly scored off a corner kick in the 88th minute.
Tampa Bay finished with more total shots, 11-10, but the Galaxy ended with more shots on goal, 3-1, with all three coming in the second half.
“We played a tactically sound game tonight,” Caligiuri said.
“If we can do the same thing [in Game 2] with a little extra, we’ll be fine.”
MLS PLAYOFFS
Galaxy vs. Tampa Bay
Game 1
Galaxy, 1-0
Game 2
Wednesday at Rose Bowl, 7:30
Game 3*
Sept. 23 at Tampa Bay, TBA
* if necessary
