Galaxy suffers second-half collapse and loses, 5-2, to Timbers
Galaxy goalie Donovan Ricketts can’t stop a shot by Timbers midfielder Diego Chara during a 5-2 loss Sunday at StubHub Center.
With one game left in the regular season, the Galaxy’s playoff picture is only slightly clearer than it was when the season started.
For that you can thank an epic second-half collapse Sunday that ended in a 5-2 loss to the Portland Timbers before a seventh consecutive sold-out crowd at StubHub Center.
With a win, the Galaxy would have clinched the second spot in the Western Conference standings, a bye into the conference semifinals and a little certainty heading into the postseason. But all that went out the window when Portland scored five times in the final 25 minutes, the most home goals the Galaxy has allowed in an entire game since September 2009.
“Everyone knows that tonight wasn’t good enough,” defender Omar Gonzalez said. “We have one more game to get ready for the playoffs. And we have to get things right.”
That last game comes Sunday in Kansas City, where the Galaxy can again clinch the second seed in the Major League Soccer playoffs — and the home-field advantage that goes with it — with a win. Anything short of that opens up a number of possibilities that could include the Galaxy dropping as far as sixth in the conference, sending it on the road for a knockout-round game.
“This stage of the season, we can’t feel sorry for ourselves,” said Galaxy captain Robbie Keane, whose two goals Sunday gave him 19 for the season, matching his career high. “We have to move on as quickly as possible.”
But that hasn’t been easy lately for a Galaxy team that’s won just once in its last six games, losing at home Sunday for just the second time this season.
Keane got things off to a good start, with his goal in the 36th minute giving the team a lead after a first half in which it arguably deserved more, putting one shot off a goalpost and another off the crossbar.
It was a different story in the second half though.
“They just thoroughly dominated us,” Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena said. “It wasn’t anything more than their desire to win that game and fight and work was much greater than ours.”
The comeback started with a pair of goals by Fanendo Adi in a three-minute span midway through the second half. On the first the Nigerian took a Lucas Melano pass with his back to the goal, spun to his right and drove a left-footed shot past Galaxy keeper Donovan Ricketts.
The second came on a penalty kick after Adi and defender Dan Gargan tangled in front of the net.
Diego Chara then made it 3-1 in the 74th minute, charging through the sleeping Galaxy defense to head a Rodney Wallace cross off Ricketts’ hand and into the netting.
Keane’s header in the 84th minute gave the Galaxy a flicker of hope. But Ricketts gave it right back seconds later by making an ill-advised dash off his line, leaving Portland’s Darlington Nagbe with an open net he didn’t miss.
Maximiliano Urruti closed the scoring in the 90th minute, giving the Timbers a season-high five goals. The five scores also marked a season-worst for Ricketts, who has allowed 16 goals in 10 games since taking over for Jaime Penedo.
And that leaves the Galaxy looking ahead to Kansas City and a regular-season finale that has suddenly become a must-win game.
“It’s in our hands,” Keane said. “The good thing about football is there’s always another game.”
