Galaxy Loss Is a Case of Too Much Adu

With the game scoreless, late and on the road, Freddy Adu normally would have pulled the ball back. But Saturday, he saw a hole in the middle of the Galaxy’s defense that he just couldn’t resist.

Adu’s goal in the second minute of stoppage time gave D.C. United a 1-0 victory and the Galaxy its first home loss of the season in front of a sellout crowd of 27,000 at the Home Depot Center.

On a sunny afternoon during which the temperature on the field reached 110 degrees and tickets were available only for the grassy hill above the eastern goal, the 16-year-old Adu, in his second MLS season, was the difference maker.

He received the ball off a header, dribbled from near midfield, beat defenders Tyrone Marshall and Ugo Ihemelu and let off a 22-yard rocket that deflected off Marshall. The ball found the right corner of the goal behind an outstretched Kevin Hartman.

“Usually you want to hold the ball and kill time,” said Adu, whose team’s only previous road victories came against expansion Chivas USA and the Columbus Crew, last in the Eastern Conference. “But the field was so open, I couldn’t hold the ball. The rest is history. Fortunately we got the goal.”

It was Adu’s second goal of the season, his first game winner.

“I got kind of tangled with him and tripped and that was it,” Ihemelu said. “I shouldn’t have been flat-footed. When someone’s coming at you, you have no idea where they’re going. You need to stay ready.”

Playing in its third consecutive game without leading scorer Landon Donovan, who is competing with the U.S. national team in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the Galaxy (8-7-4) was unable to capitalize on scoring opportunities.

In the 57th minute, Cobi Jones lobbed the ball to Herculez Gomez, making his first career start after scoring both goals in a 2-0 victory over Chivas USA last week. Gomez had an apparent breakaway but lost the ball as he neared the net. One minute later, Chris Albright’s header from a corner kick flew just over the goal.

Earlier, Gomez sent a 20-yard pass to Jones, who broke free after shaking United midfielder Joshua Gros, but his shot sailed above the net.

The only shot on goal for either team in the first half was by the Galaxy’s Guillermo Ramirez, whose shot to the left of the goal was deflected out of bounds by United goalkeeper Nick Rimando.

“I think we created some clear opportunities,” Galaxy Coach Steve Sampson said. “The game was managed. We have to do better about managing the opportunities we get.”

United (8-6-5) did not have a shot on goal until a minute before Adu’s score when reserve midfielder Jamil Walker chipped a contested shot into the arms of Hartman.

Before that, United’s best scoring opportunity was in the 83rd minute, when Adu dribbled into the goalie box only to trip and lose the ball.

The Galaxy, 7-1-3 at home, plays its next five MLS matches on the road, where it is 1-6-1.

“We’ve got to man up a bit and prove we belong with other teams,” Albright said. “Just because we play at the Home Depot Center doesn’t mean we’re the best team in the league.”