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July 4, 2009
UNFINISHED
Revs create chances, but not goals, against Galaxy
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Matt Reis made five saves to keep the Revs in the game against LA.
Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images |
CARSON, Calif.—It was an exercise in improvisation for the New England Revolution, returning to MLS play after a backbreaking three weeks of nonleague play, and taking on the LA Galaxy with half their regular starting lineup injured, on national team duty or suspended.
The Revs’ patchwork 11 went toe-to-toe and end-to-end with the Galaxy’s healthier and more experienced lineup, but paid dearly for some early defensive confusion with a 1-0 loss Saturday at the Home Depot Center.
Alecko Eskandarian, newly acquired from Chivas USA, celebrated his Galaxy debut by winning the game with an eighth-minute goal, beating Wells Thompson – in the unfamiliar role of left back – to Todd Dunivant’s diagonal ball through the box and finishing with a right-footed volley past unprotected goalkeeper Matt Reis.
Neither team was at full strength. Galaxy scoring leader Landon Donovan sat out the match after his return from the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa and starting goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts is with the Jamaican Gold Cup team, but the Revolution definitely had the worst of the personnel woes. Scoring leaders Shalrie Joseph (5 goals) and Steve Ralston (4 goals) are both on the injured list, as were perennial star Taylor Twellman (DL) and set-piece specialist Mauricio Castro. Emmanuel Osei was suspended for accumulated yellow cards, and defensive anchor Jay Heaps is with the U.S. National Team for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Midfielder Michael Videira made the most of a rare start, playing with energy at both ends of the field and creating one of the most dangerous scoring chances of the game, a light header off Kenny Mansally’s 40-yard free kick that sent LA ‘keeper Josh Saunders scrambling to the lower left corner to prevent a goal.
Overall, the Revolution put four of nine shots on goal, forcing Saunders to make four saves, including a reaction stop on a wicked shot by Nyassi that blazed through three defenders before catching the partially-screened netminder by surprise in the 43rd minute.
Mansally, who dodged at least a yellow card when referee Mark Geiger missed his “hand of God” attempt to redirect Larentowicz’s long free kick inside the far post in the 51st minute, set the stage for a more serious scoring threat in the 58th, leading Nyassi with a long ball into the box. Nyassi got past Eddie Lewis to the ball, but Saunders came off his line to smother the shot inches from Nyassi’s foot.
After the early lapse, Reis helped his defense settle down and fend off the Galaxy’s other 13 shots. Defender Darrius Barnes prevented what might have been a backbreaking second LA goal in first half stoppage, diving to head Eskandarian’s dangerous ball clear of the six-yard box. Reis took matters into his own hands late in the game, one-handing Chris Klein’s header away from the left post in the 83rd minute, then parrying Bryan Jordan’s header off the ensuing corner kick away from the goal before it could slip under the bar or find Dunivant, who was open at the far post.
Lithuanian forward Edgaras Jankauskas made his MLS debut in the 61st minute, entering the game for Kheli Dube.
The loss was New England’s first in 10 games versus the Galaxy, and keeps the Revs mired in sixth place in the MLS East with 16 points (4-4-5). The Galaxy have won two straight and are in the middle of the Western Conference pack at 4-3-9 (21 pts).
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