Galaxy’s Landon Donovan finds a spark at the end for victory
Over the years, the Galaxy has had a tendency to sometimes play down to the level of its opponent. Saturday night was one such occasion.
Playing the worst team in Major League Soccer, woeful DC United, whose game-day roster included not a single player ever heard of outside the Beltway, Los Angeles was trailing, 1-0, with only 10 minutes or so minutes left in an uninteresting and uninspiring match.
Then someone or something stuck a sharp stick into Landon Donovan. Perhaps it was pride.
Whatever the source, Donovan came to life, scored two goals within a five-minute span and salvaged a victory and three points for an L.A. team that didn’t really deserve it based on its performance to that point.
The 2-1 win kept Galaxy (15-5-5) in first place in the Western Conference and in first place overall with five regular season games to play. DC United fell to 5-17-3.
It was the sort of game that those in the Home Depot Center crowd of 20,094 found perplexing but ultimately satisfying. The Galaxy lacked sparkle, even after David Beckham came off the bench five minutes into the second half.
The introduction of the midfielder didn’t add any urgency, but Beckham’s arrival saw Jovan Kirovski leave the field, opening the way for Donovan to move from a wide playmaking role to an outright forward position.
DC United couldn’t deal with either his speed or his skill. Donovan’s goals were his sixth and seventh of the season to go along with a league-high 14 assists. Once he turned up a gear, DC United had no way to keep up with him.
Donovan’s first goal came when midfielder Clyde Simms and defender Dejan Jakovic contrived to get in each other’s way while trying to clear the ball as Donovan lurked nearby. Donovan stole the ball off Jakovic, rounded goalkeeper Troy Perkins and tapped it into the open net.
That made it 1-1 in the 81st minute. Five minutes later, the Galaxy had the lead.
This time, a deep cross into the penalty area from the right flank found Donovan unmarked at the far post and he scored on a rare and well-taken header.
DC United had seemingly been poised to win on the road for the third time this season after 17-year-old Andy Najar had given it the lead at the hour mark. Then that opportunity melted away.
The first half, meanwhile, was dreary, the only incident of note coming when referee Baldomero Toledo reached into his pocket and pulled out a yellow card.
That occurred when Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez, pursuing DC United’s Pablo Hernandez, knocked the Argentine forward down from behind in what was referred to as a “tactical foul.”
The card put Gonzalez over the limit and means he will miss Friday’s night’s match in Carson when Thierry Henry, Juan Pablo Angel and the rest of the high-flying New York Red Bulls come to town.
Donovan Ricketts managed a moment in the spotlight when he made a save off Hernandez, saw the ball squirm from his grasp and almost roll over the goal line before he recovered it.
But that was it for excitement until Donovan decided enough was enough and took charge.
