By Will Martin
If you’re keeping score at home prior to Sunday Night’s showdown in Carson, Ca. with the L.A. Galaxy FC Dallas had a streak of five games without a win.
Three games in a row ended in a tie including the most recent game on July 4th-a 0-0 deadlock with Chivas USA.
The winless streak extended to six on Sunday.
Landon Donovan didn’t figure in the 2-0 Galaxy victory. Mr. Donovan is being kept busy with Team USA in the Gold Cup CONCACAF qualifiers.
Conversely, FCD’s Blas Perez stuck with the team while his team Panama was playing right down the road at the Rose Bowl.
Panama didn’t need him as Mexico would fall to the country that Blas is from.
When you outshoot your visiting opponent to the tune of 22-6 you are truly creating scoring opportunities which was the story of this night for the L.A. Galaxy. Carlo Cudicini was successful at denying FC Dallas their best chance at scoring in the 76th minute with a clean stop of a shot by stopping a 30 yard boot from Jackson Goncalves.
Robbie Keane would assist with a cross to Marcelo Sarvas in the 65th minute that put the Galaxy ahead 1-0. 15 minutes later Robbie Rogers provided a healthy feed of a pass that was slotted into the nets by Hector Jimenez for a 2-0 score. That was the way the game ended.
With the win Los Angeles (9-7-3) climbed into 3rd place in the Western Conference while FC Dallas (8-4-7) can now look forward to a head-to-head battle at home with 1st place leader Real Salt Lake.
The central part of defending for FC Dallas was keyed by Matt Hedges and Stephen Keel as George John (hamstring strain) is still sidelined and recuperating. Also of note was a wing switch in which Kenny Cooper was replaced on the left wing by Fabian Castillo while Je-Vaughn Watson went to the right side in place of Jackson.
Schellas Hyndman was not at a loss for words following the game.
“I thought we were okay maybe the first 20 minutes and then things started getting more difficult. I think the reality is that they basically outworked us. And by out working us they caused us a lot of problems. In the first half we saved some chances— that the Galaxy created— they play very simple but they were running off the ball and you knew what was going to happen, Keane was going to get open and then there were going to be slashing runs across and services into the box. Nothing we didn’t know, we were just unable to keep up with them in the second half and the Galaxy played like an MLS champion. It was the best I’ve seen them play this year and they made us look very average.”
“We’re always talking about this not happening, that not happening but today, basically, we just got out worked. We didn’t create enough scoring chances, which causes you problems. We didn’t have people running off the ball. We didn’t have many tackles. I thought we did fine in the middle third of the field— you know, getting the ball, keeping the ball— but at the end of the day Juninho and Marcelo they killed us. They were making runs through the field and there wasn’t a lot of pressure on them. So, before we get too complicated with the scoring chances we have to get better, we have to get some work done.”
FC Dallas now has six games to work on that which has been a bugaboo the last couple of games. Getting a lead early and keeping it. Take away the late game heroics from the 2-2 ties in Frisco and Philadelphia with the Union and Sporting KC, scoring has been a challenge for a team now dealing with injuries.
