Galaxy Is Sent Back to Drawing Board
The Galaxy’s perfect season continued Saturday at East Rutherford, N.J.
Unfortunately for the defending Major League Soccer champion, it still has nothing to do with wins and losses.
Los Angeles absorbed its third consecutive 1-1 tie in 2003, this one against the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in front of 19,801 at Giants Stadium.
But for Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid, at least his team seems to be getting better each week after the third game of an MLS-record eight in a row on the road to start the season.
“I thought tonight was the best game we’ve played so far this season,” Schmid said. “We looked more like the Galaxy should. We created six or seven good chances and were unlucky on a couple of opportunities.
“Overall, I was pleased with our performance.”
One trend the Galaxy (0-0-3) did put an end to was having to rely on forward Carlos Ruiz to do all its scoring.
The reigning league MVP, who had scored L.A.’s only two goals this season before Saturday, did have a team-high four shots, but this time he gave way to the Galaxy’s other marquee player.
After some sustained pressure by the Galaxy, Cobi Jones gave L.A. a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute. It was Jones’ 58th MLS goal.
The play began when Chris Albright sent a header from outside the penalty area down the left side to Sasha Victorine. He took a few dribbles and sent a left-footed cross through the penalty area where Jones one-timed it into the upper right corner.
“It was a well-taken good goal by Cobi,” Schmid said. “[Jones] was very efficient by taking it first time at just the right moment to beat [goalkeeper Tim] Howard.”
Ruiz even got an unofficial assist.
“I got the ball from Chris, looked up and the first thing I saw was Carlos making a near post run and dragging several defenders with him,” Victorine said. “Then I saw Cobi in the middle and tried to get a pass back across the middle for him. He did an excellent job and hit it well.”
The Galaxy held the lead until late in the second half when MetroStar midfielder Amado Guevara, making his MLS debut, began to click with his new teammates.
Guevara, who plays for Honduras’ national team and practiced with the MetroStars (0-1-1) for the first time Friday, helped create pressure on the Galaxy defense that ultimately led to a goal.
L.A. finally cracked when MetroStar midfielder Joey DiGiamarino, a Corona native who played the last two seasons with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, was knocked down in the penalty area by the Galaxy’s Ezra Hendrickson.
Veteran Jaime Moreno scored on the ensuing penalty kick, his first goal as a MetroStar after spending seven seasons with D.C. United, to tie the score in the 42nd minute.
Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman seemed to get a small piece of the shot but couldn’t do enough to push it away from the lower left corner of the net.
In the 89th minute, Ruiz had a chance to win it for Los Angeles on a breakaway, but his shot was kicked away by Howard.
In overtime, the Galaxy’s Danny Califf sent a low header toward the lower left corner of the net off a corner kick, but MetroStar defender Richie Williams was in perfect position to clear it off the goal line.
Despite the frustration of missed opportunities, the Galaxy still seemed to take it all in stride.
“We played our best game tonight,” Victorine said. “Our ball possession and attack were the keys that allowed us to create dangerous chances on goal. Now, we’re starting to click as a team.”
