Not Just Any Old Victory
The night was supposed to be a showcase for two 22-year-old rookies who have dominated Major League Soccer this season. Instead, it belonged to one of the league’s original stars who has been there since its inception.
Cobi Jones hadn’t scored in his last 21 MLS matches, his longest drought in seven years in the league. That changed Saturday night when the midfielder scored both Galaxy goals, including the game-winner with four minutes left to give Los Angeles a 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution before 15,137 at the Rose Bowl.
Jones broke a 1-1 tie when he sent a ball in to Carlos Ruiz, who was in the clear inside the penalty box. Ruiz, the rookie who leads the league with 16 goals, had a play on New England goalkeeper Adin Brown but gave it back to a rushing Jones and the 32-year-old veteran beat Brown with a high shot that went in off the right post.
“It was nice to get the first goals for myself this season and put myself on the board and give Carlos his first assist,” Jones said. “I like playing with Ruiz. He’s easy to find up top and he’s a hard worker as a forward. It’s a good combination.”
Jones had not found the net for the Galaxy since Aug. 18, 2001, against Tampa Bay. But he has been a presence since his return from the World Cup, with six assists in five matches.
The victory lifted the Galaxy into a third-place tie with Colorado in the Western Conference. Coincidence or not, the Galaxy (10-7-3, 33 points) is 6-1-1 including two U.S. Open Cup victories since Jones’ return. Coach Sigi Schmid said he likes how Jones and Ruiz have worked together.
“Those are our two money guys,” Schmid said. “It’s good to see Carlos get one for Cobi instead of all of them going to Carlos. Those two guys have to play in a way where the other team has to be worried about them.”
The Galaxy defense put the clamps on high-scoring rookie forward Taylor Twellman. Twellman, who is right behind Ruiz with 15 goals, got off only one shot and didn’t see the ball much as league assist leader Steve Ralston was also shut down.
“I thought we did a great job on Ralston,” Schmid said. “Simon Elliott’s comment after the game was he was knackered, which means he was dead tired. Danny Califf did a very good job on Twellman ... and Tyrone [Marshall] was with [Alex] Pineda Chacon. We contained those three guys fairly well.”
The Revolution (7-13-1) came into the match with the most porous defense in the league. Against a unit that has allowed 44 goals, the Galaxy figured to have a number of scoring chances, but Brown made several big saves early on to keep L.A. off the scoreboard.
In the 13th minute, Ruiz went in alone from the right side off a long pass from Marshall. Brown came out to cut down the angle and made a chest save.
The Revolution goalie later stopped Jones with a hand save on a header set up off a cross by Ruiz. Mauricio Cienfuegos was denied in the 21st minute when Brown moved to his right and got a hand on the low shot. Alejandro Moreno moved in for the rebound but Brown grabbed the ball in time.
Jones broke through in the 33rd minute on a play set up by Cienfuegos and midfielder Ezra Hendrickson. Cienfuegos sent a long pass to Hendrickson rushing down the right side. Hendrickson spotted Jones making a run toward the left side of the net and put a perfect pass on goal that Jones headed in.
New England tied it in the 62nd minute when former Galaxy defender Daniel Hernandez blasted a free kick into the left corner of the net past a diving Kevin Hartman for his second goal of the season.
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*--* Shooting Star Cobi Jones’ two goals in the Galaxy’s 2-1 victory over New England Saturday may have been his first of the season, but the veteran midfielder is far and away the club’s all-time leading goal scorer. The top five: Player Years Goals 1. Cobi Jones 1996- 56 2. Mauricio Cienfuegos 1996- 31 3. Eduardo Hurtado 1996-98 30 4. Welton 1997-99 28 5. Harut Karapetyan 1996-98 18
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