WASHINGTON - The Los Angeles Galaxy came into Washington, D.C., Saturday in last place in the Western Conference, five points out of the MLS Cup Playoffs and in dire need of a win to spark a campaign towards defending their MLS Cup championship from last season.
To many Galaxy fans, though, a victory over D.C. United - who have both the stingiest defense and most potent offense in the league - seemed unlikely, especially since the Galaxy had managed only a measly 19 goals through 23 games all season for the second worst mark in the league.
The Galaxy, however, thumped a slumping D.C. United 5-2 in a rollicking affair in front of 24,159 in the nation's capital. With the victory, the Galaxy have improved to 6-2-4 since coach Frank Yallop was hired in early June, spearheading their late season push for the playoffs.
Yallop, who helped lead Landon Donovan and the San Jose Earthquakes to two MLS titles in 2001 and 2003, can be credited with turning around the previously moribund squad. The Galaxy played with passion and without fear of the formidable United squad, taking the game to the Black-and-Red in the opening minutes through former United star Santino Quaranta, who was traded to the Galaxy on Aug. 8.
"We came out strong and confident," said Quaranta, who hit the post with a volley in only the second minute. "I wanted to score, obviously, but [the near-goal] made me more confident that we could win."
One person ecstatic to have the former United winger on his team is Galaxy captain Landon Donovan.
"Statistically, Santino didn't do anything tonight. But he was dangerous from the first couple of minutes. He is good on the ball and he is working his butt off. And he has helped us a lot. He is someone who can hold the ball, be aggressive going at people, and he can score goals," Donovan said.
The Galaxy had confidence in bundles as the five goals they knocked home amounted to more than a quarter of the 19 goals they have scored all season. The initial goal that started the landslide came from an unlikely source - hulking forward Alan Gordon, who led the A-League in scoring in 2004 for the Portland Timbers before joining the Galaxy, but who had yet to tally his first MLS goal.
"It was a great feeling [to score my first goal]," Gordon said. "This is the way it comes: you work hard and you get rewarded following up a shot."
Of course, the real star of the game was Donovan. After coming off a rocky World Cup in which much of the blame for the USA's poor showing was heaped on the diminutive striker from rabid fans, journalists and talking heads alike, he has returned to MLS with a vengeance, playing every single minute of Galaxy games since July 1 and scoring six goals in that nine game span. The Galaxy ave a 6-1-2 record (as well as two victories in the U.S. Open Cup) during that stretch. Donovan was persistently dangerous throughout the game when on the ball, threading needle-like passes behind the defense or deftly chipping up and over the United three-man back line.
"Landon pulls a lot of people away and he sets up people nicely," Gordon said.
"Obvioulsly, 5-2 looks pretty good, but I think it was pretty deserved," Donovan said. "Sometimes you get six to seven chances and you don't score. Tonight we had six to seven chances and we got five. Defensively, it probably doesn't look like our best game, but I thought we played really well against a good team. They got an own goal and a lucky little flick header."
The Galaxy had been defensively stingy all season coming into the game, allowing only 25 goals, behind only D.C. United. But it is their offense that has been stumbling. With the addition of Yallop, the players seem to be playing with a deliberate purpose that has maintained their strong defense, while adding an offensive spark.
"My teams are organized defensively, and from that shape we break forward," Yallop said. "I think we did that well tonight. Our counterattack play tonight was excellent. Five goals in any game is good. It was a great win. United throw a lot of players forward and try to out-score their opponents - and they usually do. It's a tough game to play coming here. If you can break well and counterattack, you can get at the back three."
After the Galaxy went ahead 4-2 in the second half through an own goal that was created by Donovan, he went towards the United fans and beat his chest, seeming to ask for more of the United faithful's verbal punishment they had been raining down on him all game.
Perhaps, too, the emotion that spilled from Donovan was directed at not just the fans, but all those who have recently doubted his ability or will to dominate MLS competition.
"The D.C. supporters are always a little rude. If they want to keep motivating me that way, I'll put four in on them next time," Donovan said.
If the Galaxy continue their recent form, he may very well get a chance to do so in the MLS Cup Final.
Jordan Brown is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
