Galaxy Hoping for Better Start
Kansas City’s pack-it-in defense after taking the lead Wednesday night was no surprise to the Galaxy.
What was surprising was how flat the Western Conference champion and No. 1-seeded Galaxy came out to begin the Major League Soccer playoffs against the No. 8-seeded Wizards before pulling out a 3-2 overtime win at the Rose Bowl.
Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid said the quick, four-day turnaround from regular-season finale to playoff opener contributed to the Galaxy malaise.
Rather than basking in the afterglow of its thrilling home-and-home series sweep of defending league champion San Jose that gave the Galaxy its fifth divisional title in seven years, Schmid said his team was hurting because of it.
“Our last two games against San Jose were not only physically demanding games but emotionally demanding games,” he said. “You can see by San Jose losing that it obviously took something out of them too.
“But it’s a great wake-up call because we got the win and we didn’t play our best game and now the guys know what they’re in for.”
Stadium Approved
Six years after the idea was proposed, England gave final approval Thursday for a $1.17-billion reconstruction of Wembley Stadium.
The 90,000-seat stadium in north London is scheduled to open in 2006, and instead of the famous “Twin Towers” that have been a landmark since Wembley opened in 1923, the renovation will feature a soaring, 400-foot high “Triumphal Arch.”
Critics have said the massively expensive project will become “the first white elephant in football boots,” but supporters claim it will help England’s efforts to host future World Cups and the Olympic Games.
