Galaxy Gets Colorful Tie
The “oohs” and “ahhs” mouthed by the 27,000 fans gathered at the Home Depot Center on Friday night began in earnest well before the postgame fireworks show took to the skies of Carson.
And Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid had the best seat in the house for the rematch of last year’s MLS Cup title game against the New England Revolution.
“I thought from a fan’s standpoint it was an entertaining game,” Schmid said. “There was an ebb and a flow to it, definitely.”
And as such, there was no winner ... and no loser.
The Galaxy and Revolution played to a 2-2 draw and while the Galaxy remained unbeaten at home, improving to 3-0-2, the defending Major League Soccer champions are only 3-5-7 at the midway point of the season.
“We’re disappointed, no doubt,” said Galaxy defender Tyrone Marshall, who, along with backline mate Danny Califf, played his final game with the Galaxy before leaving for national team duty in the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup. Marshall will be with Jamaica while Califf represents the United States.
“It just seems like we came out flat for that little stretch at the start of the second half,” Marshall added. “I guess we had little lapses of concentration on defense.”
That’s when the Galaxy’s 1-0 lead turned into a 2-1 deficit and Marshall was victimized on each score.
New England (5-3-5) struck quickly.
In the 52nd minute, Revolution midfielder Steve Ralston sent a high, soft cross into the box from the right side, where forward Taylor Twellman slid by Marshall to redirect the ball with a header into the left corner of the net. It was the eighth goal of the year for Twellman, who is still recovering from a respiratory infection he picked up in France with the U.S. national team during last month’s Confederations Cup. Twellman did not enter this match until the 38th minute.
“I was looking back at the ball and then [Twellman] was by me,” Marshall said.
Two minutes later, Revolution defender Jay Heaps found Twellman on a give-and-go in the box, Twellman splitting the defense while Heaps ran by Marshall and converted Twellman’s pass into a goal, Heaps’ second score this season.
“That guy came from behind,” Marshall said. “I don’t even know if he was my man. I was just trying to help.”
Help would come for the Galaxy in the form of second-year player Alejandro Moreno, who started in the midfield.
During a scrum in the middle of the box, Chris Albright headed a ball to Carlos Ruiz at the top of the arc. Ruiz promptly sent it out to an onrushing Moreno on the right side, Moreno’s one-timer was a low liner from 23 yards out that skidded just under a diving Adin Brown in the 60th minute.
It was the first goal of Moreno’s MLS career. “It’s been a long time coming, since last year,” Moreno said. “I’ve gotten close, hitting the post, goalkeepers making saves. I’m just happy to help the team out, but we wanted the three points [that come with a victory] so we’re a little disappointed.”
Moreno, though, was anything but down after his shot crossed the plane, jumping over the barrier in celebration before being mobbed by teammates.
“Carlos set it up beautifully for me,” Moreno said. “I hit it hard and the next thing you know it’s sitting in the back of the net.”
The Galaxy went up, 1-0, in the 28th minute on a Ruiz penalty kick.
Ruiz’s eighth goal of the year -- his fourth by penalty kick -- came after Moreno was taken down just inside the right corner of the box by Revolution defender Joe Franchino. Referee Michael Kennedy immediately signaled the foul.
Ruiz calmly trotted to the spot and blew his shot by a frozen Brown, New England’s behemoth of a goalkeeper at 6 feet 5, 200 pounds, into the upper left corner.
When asked why he has had so much success on penalty kicks this year -- he has made all four he has attempted this season, Ruiz smiled.
“Es un secreto,” he said. “It’s a secret.”
Almost as big a mystery as why the Galaxy can be flat on defense coming out of the half.
