Galaxy Is the Biggest Fish Again
In 2002, it was Carlos Ruiz, the Guatemalan striker known as “el Pescadito,” or “the little fish,” who scored an overtime goal against the New England Revolution that gave the Galaxy a 1-0 victory and its first Major League Soccer championship.
History repeats itself, it is true, but it also adds some curious twists.
On Sunday evening, another Guatemalan player -- the son of a fisherman, no less -- also scored in overtime and the Galaxy again defeated the Revolution, again 1-0, to win its second MLS title.
For Guillermo “Pando” Ramirez -- the nickname means bandy-legged, a lot less flattering than little fish -- it was the ultimate redemption for a season that had gone sour.
Ramirez, signed at the start of the year to add some punch to the left side of the Galaxy’s midfield, took 62 shots during the regular season, including 30 on target, and scored only one goal.
Putting that in perspective, no other player in MLS history has scored that few goals off that many shots in a single season.
By the time the playoffs had arrived, Ramirez was affixed firmly to the bench.
But in the 67th minute of a scoreless struggle at Pizza Hut Park -- oddly enough, now Ruiz’s home field since his spring trade by the Galaxy to FC Dallas -- Ramirez was sent into the game.
“I just had a feeling,” Galaxy Coach Steve Sampson said later.
Ramirez’s impact was not immediate. The 90 minutes of regulation and the first 17 minutes of overtime had gone by and it was still 0-0 when his moment came.
New England midfielder James Riley needlessly gave up a corner kick on the right. Landon Donovan floated the ball into the goal area and Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis (who was on the bench for the Galaxy in 2002) punched it back out.
The ball fell to Ramirez, about 19 yards from the net, and he volleyed it back up and over the fallen Reis and into the back of the net.
The Galaxy then held on for the final quarter-hour or so.
Donovan, who earned his third MLS championship in five years after winning with the San Jose Earthquakes in 2001 and 2003, was the first to applaud Ramirez’s contribution.
“I would have bet my mortgage in Manhattan Beach, where it’s a little pricey sometimes, that this guy wouldn’t have come in and been the one who made the difference,” Donovan said.
“I’m stunned, impressed and extremely happy for him. He deserves a lot of congratulations.”
Ramirez, 27, had played only 30 minutes in the final four regular-season matches and not at all in the playoffs until Sunday.
“It’s been a tough year for him,” Donovan said. “It was pretty similar to me in Germany. Things weren’t going my way. For some reason, things weren’t happening. I wasn’t playing. I made the decision to come back and do what I do here.
“For him, I don’t know that he had another option. So he could have gone one of two ways. He could have stopped playing and decided that the season was over. But I feel like he’s a true champion. He put it all aside and came out and played.
“The goal was great, but he did a lot of things that helped us.”
The Galaxy, appearing in its fifth final in 10 years, had its defense to thank for the victory. Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman made at least two crucial saves. The back line of Chris Albright, Ugo Ihemelu, Tyrone Marshall and Todd Dunivant was bent but never broken. Ihemelu, a rookie, made a game-saving play in the closing moments when he headed clear a goal-bound shot by Jose Cancela.
There were close calls at either end in a disappointing final marred by 51 fouls, resulting in 10 yellow cards from referee Kevin Stott, and far too little open play.
Reis made a memorable save after a 70-yard run by Donovan when he palmed Donovan’s shot over the crossbar. He also denied Donovan and Herculez Gomez on back-to-back shots late in the match, and Cobi Jones slammed a shot into the crossbar.
The Galaxy outshot the Revolution, 25-11, including 9-2 in shots on target.
But only Ramirez found the way through.
“It was very difficult for me when I was not starting, when I was coming off the bench,” he said. “I had some fights with my teammates. I wanted to get better. I wanted to have the chance to be in the lineup.
“Thankfully, today the coach gave the opportunity, and thankfully I was there in the right place at the right time to score the goal.”
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Cup holders
The 10 MLS Cup champions and MVPs (note: Each MVP played for the winning team):
* 2005: Galaxy; Guillermo Ramirez.
* 2004: D.C. United; Alecko Eskandarian.
* 2003: San Jose; Landon Donovan.
* 2002: Galaxy; Carlos Ruiz.
* 2001: San Jose; Dwayne DeRosario.
* 2000: Wizards; Tony Meola.
* 1999: D.C. United; Ben Olsen.
* 1998: Chicago Fire; Peter Nowak.
* 1997: D.C. United; Jaime Moreno.
* 1996: D.C. United; Marco Etcheverry.
