The Los Angeles Galaxy's sluggish play against Eastern Conference foes continued Sunday as they were soundly beaten, 4-1, by a suddenly resurgent D.C. United at RFK Stadium.
A Jaime Moreno penalty kick put United early, though Edson Buddle pulled the Galaxy level midway through the first half. But two goals from Luciano Emilio, on either side of halftime, wrapped around a Marcelo Gallardo strike, gave United the victory.
Despite the heat, the entertaining match between the league's highest scoring teams was contested at a tremendous rate of speed. United scored twice in each half to win the game going away and halt the Galaxy's stretch of four wins in their last five matches and only one loss in their last six games, a stretch that had vaulted them into first place in the Western Conference.
United capitalized on a mistake by defender Ante Jazic in the fifth minute. Jazic awkwardly pushed down Santino Quaranta from behind just a step into the penalty area after the Baltimore native collected a simple ball from the right side from Moreno. Moreno calmly stepped up and buried his sixth goal of the season, his fourth on penalty kicks, to open the scoring.
United continued to attack relentlessly down the right flank as Gallardo floated a ball into space to Emilio who rifled a shot from inside the penalty area. But goalkeeper Steve Cronin was better, denying him with a strong diving save in the 10th minute.
Emilio put the ball behind Cronin from the same spot four minutes later but was correctly ruled to be in an offside position.
The Galaxy put an apparent goal past Zach Wells in the 22nd minute but Landon Donovan was also correctly ruled offside after he flicked in an exquisite Beckham cross from the right flank.
The Galaxy equalized however in the 26th minute after a folly of ugliness by United in their penalty area. Donovan slashed dangerously toward the penalty area from the right flank and attempted to play a hopeful ball to Buddle inside the area. United defender Gonazalo Peralta was perfectly positioned to clear the ball but fanned on the attempt. As the ball bounded around near the penalty spot, United defenders Devon McTavish and Bryan Namoff collided and fell to the ground, allowing Buddle's right-footed toe flick to beat Wells from merely yards out to equalize the score in the 26th minute.
The Galaxy capitalized on the momentum as Donovan raced into the left side of the penalty area a few minutes later with two United defenders in tow, but his last second flick was knocked away by the quick-handed Wells.
Momentum switched quickly however, in the 37th minute of a half played at a sensational tempo. The Galaxy let the raucous United faithful back into the contest as the home side capitalized on a turnover in the midfield which culminated in a tremendous goal by Emilio, his ninth of the season and eighth in his last six games, to restore United's lead at 2-1.
Moreno floated a ball across the penalty area from the right flank that was collected by Marc Burch on the back side. Burch slung the ball back into the box for Emilio, whose fall away header bounced just inside the left post just out of Cronin's reach.
The dueling No. 10s were both issued yellow cards for an altercation in the 42nd minute in front of the Galaxy bench. With Gallardo in possession and Donovan fighting hard to strip the ball from the diminutive Argentinean, Gallardo swing his arm violently around, catching Donovan in the nose. After Donovan's retaliation, and a quick conference with the fourth official, Marrufo issued the bookings.
The breakneck pace of the match continued into the second half and so did United's pressure on the out of sync Galaxy. Gallardo missed on a volley from just before the hour, but didn't miss a minute later, beating Sean Franklin in the box and burying his second chance to stretch the lead to 3-1.
The Galaxy's resilience showed well only seconds later as Donovan dribbled around multiple United defenders on a play that started on the left side of the penalty area and finished on the right, but his effort was denied by a sliding Wells in the 62nd minute.
Burch countered for United but his laser left-footed free kick from 36 yards out hit squarely off the crossbar and sailed in the air before coming down out of bounds.
United put the game out of reach on one of the more simple goals Emilio he has scored all year to make the score 4-1 in the 69th minute. Gallardo played a ball wide right to Fred, who was close to an offside position on the right flank. The speedy Brazilian raced in to the penalty area and pushed the ball around a committed Cronin, to Emilio and the wide open goal.
In an unexpected turn, Moreno was replaced by fan favorite Ben Olsen in the 75th minute. Olsen has been out all year with another in a long series of ankle surgeries that has kept the former U.S. international on the sidelines.
Donovan had perhaps his best opportunity in the closing seconds of the match but his left-footed blast from 12 yards out was deflected away by a great reflex save by Wells.
Emilio's bid for his second hat trick of the season was denied moments later by an equally great save by Cronin.
Chris Snear is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
