Bradford Jamieson returns, helps Galaxy earn win in U.S. Open Cup play
Emmanuel Boateng sprinted down the left side during the first half, peered to his right and ripped a cross toward the net. It found fellow midfielder Bradford Jamieson, who was playing in his first game for the Galaxy since October.
Jamieson, a 21-year-old forward, has been out with a concussion since the season started, and because the concussion was the latest of several, concerns over his future in soccer lingered.
He did his best to quash those concerns in the Galaxy’s 3-1 victory over the FC Golden State Force on Wednesday night at the StubHub Center’s track stadium in L.A.’s first game of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, starting on the pass from Boateng.
Jamieson tapped it toward John Requejo, who tapped it back. Jamieson curled it into the net for the Galaxy’s first goal of the evening in the 15th minute.
“I’m coming along game by game,” said Jamieson, who added his main goal right now is getting in shape enough to play 90 minutes. “Just trying to focus on the little things.”
On a night when the Galaxy fielded a team largely composed of reserves to combat the fourth-tier Force, Jamieson’s goal may have been first, but it wasn’t the most impressive. That distinction belonged to midfielder Ariel Lassiter.
He fielded a long pass from Julian Buscher near the net in the 37th minute and went airborne. With both feet still off the ground, he tapped the pass with his left shin and booted it into the net for the Galaxy’s second goal.
“When you score a bicycle kick,” he said, “the confidence is up.”
He put the game out of reach with another goal in the 85th minute, although he had chances for more.
“Those two goals were good,” Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid said. “He could’ve had five.”
FC Golden State, based in Whittier, had few opportunities in the first half, but the Force seemed rejuvenated in the second. Pedro Fonseca netted his team’s first goal in the 48th minute to bring it within one, and Schmid said his team allowed too many opportunities after that.
He said one of the game’s biggest accomplishments was allowing him to rest his starters. He also pointed out missed opportunities.
“We had chances where we could’ve ended the game in the first half,” Schmid said. “We’ve gotta make sure of that.”
The win sent the Galaxy to the Open Cup round of 16. Matchups will be announced Thursday.
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