Galaxy Avoids MLS Upset Bug in U.S. Cup, 5-0

On a night when Major League Soccer teams were being upset across the country, Sasha Victorine and Marvin Quijano made sure the same fate did not befall the Galaxy.

Victorine, looking far more effective in an attacking midfield role than his usual forward position, scored one goal and created another as Los Angeles defeated the A-League’s Nashville Metros, 5-0, Wednesday at Cal State Fullerton.

Quijano, growing in stature and confidence this season, had a hand in four goals.

Midfielder Simon Elliott, just returned from World Cup qualifying play with the New Zealand national team, scored twice.

The victory, in front of 2,134 at Titan Stadium, moved the Galaxy into the final 16 of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the nation’s oldest soccer competition.

Los Angeles’ opponent in the next round will be the Seattle Sounders Select, a third-division team that produced one of the night’s surprises by upsetting the Dallas Burn of MLS, 3-2, in overtime at Dallas.

The Tampa Bay Mutiny began the MLS woes by losing to the A-League’s Connecticut Wolves, 3-2, on Tuesday night. The New York/New Jersey MetroStars also lost to an A-League team, being thrashed, 4-1, Wednesday night by the Charleston Battery, captained by former Galaxy defender Dan Calichman.

Another MLS loser was the Colorado Rapids, who were beaten, 2-0, by the A-League’s Pittsburgh Riverhounds, coached by former U.S. national team coach John Kowalski.

The rest of the MLS teams managed to survive.

“I thought he was outstanding,” Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid said of Quijano. “He was the player of the match for us.

“He scored his first goal with his right foot, which might be a first in his career. The pass that he gave through to Sasha [for the third goal] was outstanding, and he got taken down for two PKs [penalty kicks]. You can’t ask for more from a player.”