Moreno Leaves an Impression
Alejandro Moreno scored the first hat trick of his Major League Soccer career Wednesday night, his three goals powering the injury-depleted Galaxy to a surprising 4-2 victory over D.C. United in front of 13,043 at RFK Stadium in Washington.
Los Angeles (4-1-3) was without its top two scoring threats, Carlos Ruiz and Jovan Kirovski, both out injured, but Moreno, a 24-year-old Venezuelan international, more than made up for their absence with goals in the 35th, 39th and 43rd minutes.
Rookie Joseph Ngwenya scored his first MLS goal, on a 44th-minute header, as the Galaxy beat D.C. United goalkeeper Nick Rimando four times in the last 11 minutes of the first half.
Former Austrian international Andreas Herzog was instrumental in setting up each of Moreno’s goals.
“Alejandro did well,” Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid said of Moreno, usually Ruiz’s backup. “He’s been disappointed that he’s been on the bench, but he comes to work every day. I knew he’d be ready.
“I have complete confidence in him.”
Moreno has scored on his first five shots of 2004, setting a league record.
His eight-minute hat trick was the second-fastest in MLS history, behind the three goals in five minutes scored by former Galaxy winger Harut Karapetyan in an 8-1 rout of the Dallas Burn in 1998.
“Any time you score three goals it’s great,” Moreno said. “The most important thing is we were playing without five guys that we consider starters and we’ve shown some depth and some determination in coming here and getting a result.”
Ronald Cerritos scored for D.C. United (2-3-3) in the closing seconds of the first half.
Freddy Adu, who came into the game as a substitute in the 60th minute, scored a fine individual goal seven minutes later, dribbling his way past Hong Myung-Bo, Sasha Victorine and Ryan Suarez before beating goalkeeper Kevin Hartman to his right with a left-foot shot into the upper corner.
It was the 14-year-old’s second goal of the season and cut the Galaxy’s lead to two goals.
“We gave him way too much space,” Schmid said. “Bo gave him about five yards, so he cut in easily on Bo. Sasha was too far off. He cut inside again. Suarez left his feet on a tackle, so he slipped it past Suarez. And then he hits it from about the penalty spot and bends it into the corner.
“It was a nice goal. It’s like the old adage: If you give a good player time and space, he’ll show you how good he is.”
Taking nothing from Adu, it was Moreno who showed Wednesday just how good he is. Good enough to start again on Saturday night against the Earthquakes at San Jose.
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Jones reported from Los Angeles.
