• Download the Game Guide >
LOS ANGELES GALAXY v FC DALLAS
THE HOME DEPOT CENTER, Carson, Calif.
7:30 p.m. PT (FSC; FSN-PT)
Oct. 14, 2006 (WEEK 29) / MLS Game #190
The curtain falls on the title defense of the Los Angeles Galaxy this weekend, as they bring an end to their 11th season having failed to reach the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time ever, following last week's 2-1 loss to FC Dallas in the front half of the season-ending home-and-home series. With the victory, FC Dallas also ensured they will maintain home-field advantage throughout the postseason - which could, of course, extend all the way to the MLS Cup Final. Now they only have to wait for the other results over the weekend to see which of three potential opponents they will face in the conference semifinals.
REFEREE: Colin Tait. SAR (bench): Greg Barkey; JAR (opposite): Fabio Tovar; 4th: Ramon Hernandez
MLS Career: 2 games; FC/gm: 30.5; Y/gm: 5.0; R: 1; pens: 1
MLS 2006: 2 games; FC/gm: 30.5 (avg: 28.9); Y/gm: 5.0 (avg: 3.64); R: 1 (MLS: 43); pens: 1 (MLS: 41)
Games involving Galaxy: first game
Games involving FC Dallas: first game
INJURY REPORT: FC DALLAS - OUT: GK Dario Sala (R calf strain); GK Jeff Cassar (R hip surgery); FW Roberto Mina (L knee); QUESTIONABLE: MF Ramon Nuñez (R ankle) ... LOS ANGELES GALAXY - OUT: FW Cornell Glen (L knee sprain); QUESTIONABLE: DF Troy Roberts (groin strain); DF Tyrone Marshall (R Achilles tendon strain); PROBABLE: DF Nathan Sturgis (R groin strain); MF Kyle Martino (L hip surgery)
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
FINED NEXT YELLOW CARD (caution limit suspensions do not carry over to postseason):
LA: Herculez Gomez, Ugo Ihemelu, Tyrone Marshall ... DAL: Ronnie O'Brien, Bobby Rhine
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (41 meetings): Galaxy 20 wins (1 shootout), 71 goals ... FC Dallas 14 wins (1 shootout), 49 goals ... 7 draws
AT LOS ANGELES: (20 meetings): Galaxy 15 wins (1 shootout), 39 goals ...FC Dallas 3 wins (1 shootout), 13 goals ... 2 draws
This is the fourth of four meetings between the Western Conference clubs this season, the second of two at The Home Depot Center, and the back end of back-to-back meetings to end the campaign.
The Galaxy have won eight of the last 13 league meetings between the clubs - all of them played to a result. That followed a stretch of six of eight matches that ended in draws, beginning with the 2001 season series.
A year ago, the teams evenly split their season series, each only winning at home, ending a two-year run where the Galaxy had won the season series. The last time the Burn won the season set came in 2000. On Sept. 6 of that year, Dallas last defeated the Galaxy in southern California.
Coaches record: Frank Yallop vs. DAL: P12 W9 L3 D0 ... Colin Clarke v LA: P11 W5 L6 D02006 (MLS)
5/10: DAL 1, LA 0 (Ruiz 20)
8/20: LA 2, DAL 0 (Donovan 26, Quaranta 48+)
10/7: DAL 2, LA 1 (Ruiz 30, Cooper 47 - Donovan 71)
Home form has held through the season series this year, with each team winning on their own park, FC Dallas twice and the Galaxy once.
In the first meeting between the clubs this season, FC Dallas came away with a 1-0 victory at Pizza Hut Park on May 10. Carlos Ruiz scored the game's only goal in the 20th minute - then FCD made it stand after they were left a man down just before the halftime break. A Ramon Nuñez shot was deflected by a Galaxy defender, falling to Ruiz, who perfectly placed a low shot inside the far post that beat Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.
The home side were left a man down after Bobby Rhine was sent off in the 43rd minute with a straight red card after a hard tackle on Galaxy substitute Ned Grabavoy at midfield. But the Hoops had only one real scare over the final 45 minutes - a Joseph Ngwenya shot that hit the crossbar then was cleared back over the bar by defender Alex Yi.
On Aug. 20 at The Home Depot Center, the Galaxy returned home from a four-game road trip in style, defeating FC Dallas 2-0. They broke through in the 26th minute when Greg Vanney failed to bottle up Donovan. Galaxy defender Troy Roberts sent a long ball from the Galaxy's third to the top of the penalty area, where Donovan beat Vanney to the ball and chipped over FCD 'keeper Dario Sala.
The lead was doubled just before intermission. Santino Quaranta fired a 30-yard bomb over Sala's head and into the back of the net for his second goal in three games since joining the Galaxy. The victory was the eighth for the Galaxy in eight meetings all-time against FC Dallas in Carson.LAST MEETING
The Galaxy had kept their slim playoff dreams alive with a 3-0 victory against Chivas USA the weekend before, while FC Dallas responded to finally booking their playoff ticket with a 3-1 loss to Columbus.
The Hoops drove a dagger into the heart of the defending champions after just a half hour. Richard Mulrooney hooked in a free kick from deep on the right and Carlos Ruiz rose up unattended at the back post to head home for his 13th goal of the season, third-most in MLS.
The home side then got the killer goal just after the break. Ronnie O'Brien whipped in a cross from the right and Kenny Cooper came across to volley home with a side-foot effort for his 11th goal of the year.
The Galaxy refused to go quietly, and laid siege to the Dallas goal over the final half hour. But they could score just once: Chris Albright swung in a cross from the right, and Landon Donovan chested it down masterfully before prodding it past Shaka Hislop (71). But L.A. could get no closer, and will miss out on the postseason for the first time in 11 MLS seasons, becoming just the second MLS Cup winner to not reach the playoffs the following year.
FC DALLAS
FC Dallas clinched home-field advantage throughout the MLS Cup Playoffs - which could extend all the way to the MLS Cup Final, with the league championship game being held at Pizza Hut Park on Nov. 12 - with the victory against the Galaxy. FC Dallas has 52 points from 31 games and with a victory and a D.C. United loss to the Chicago Fire on Sunday, could equal the league's best record for the season, though United has already won the MLS Supporters' Shield with the better head-to-head record against Dallas this season.
TEAM NEWS
FC Dallas head coach Colin Clarke made two changes to the team that lost 3-1 to the Columbus Crew the weekend before. Chris Gbandi returned to his usual left back post, coming in for David Wagenfuhr, while Ronnie O'Brien returned to his usual starting role with Ramon Nuñez away on international duty.
Here's Clarke's team (4-4-2): Shaka Hislop - Bobby Rhine, Drew Moor, Greg Vanney, Chris Gbandi - Ronnie O'Brien (Marcelo Saragosa 82), Richard Mulrooney, Simo Valakari, Kenny Cooper (Clarence Goodson 87) - Carlos Ruiz, Abe Thompson (David Wagenfuhr 76). [Substitutes Not Used: Arturo Alvarez, Ray Burse, Dax McCarty, Dominic Oduro]
"Particularly the first half I thought that we were very good. In the second half they were throwing numerous extra bodies forward, but I thought they were superb," said Clarke. "The boys have worked hard all year and thoroughly deserve it."
It was the first time in club history FC Dallas clinched first place in their conference. The 52 points also set a new club record, surpassing the 51-point total set in 1999.
"Apart from the Open Cup (in 1997), this team had not won anything so it kind of grinds on the team so it's a monkey off the back so to speak," said Clarke. "We've had a bit of success this year with the Rio Grande Plate and now the Western Conference, which is important, particularly as it gives you home field advantage in the conference final."
In addition, it meant the elimination of the Galaxy, and released some tension from the return leg at The Home Depot Center. "To have to go into [this] week having to get a win or tie, we didn't want that," Richard Mulrooney said. "I give L.A. credit. I think they're a different team from the beginning of the year. We didn't want to have to play them again for them to get another result to stay in the playoff race. To get a win tonight is a relief."
Unlike a year ago, FC Dallas also feels they are in a different frame of mind than a year ago. Last year, the Hoops held home-field advantage in the conference semifinals, but lost on penalty kicks to the Colorado Rapids
"It gives us peace of mind, but I hope that we don't relax because between these last two home games, against Salt Lake and tonight, I think that we've got a good way about us right now and if you let down mentally in the last game before the playoffs than you're doing yourself a disservice," Greg Vanney said. "We just need to go in there and play our game and get ourselves ready for the weeks ahead of us because that is what matters and that is how we are going to measure ourselves as a team."
Carlos Ruiz is also getting hot at the right time, with goals in four successive matches. His 13 goals are three behind Jeff Cunningham of Real Salt Lake for the Budweiser Golden Boot.
"He was on a good streak earlier this year then he went (11 games) without scoring, but he was playing well and contributing which is important and now he's got his confidence up again and he's getting on the end of things," Ruiz said. "If you're going to win the whole thing you're going to need somebody to be hot and to be scoring goals and we've got him and Kenny and a few others making things happen as well so we go in feeling full of confidence."
LOS ANGELES GALAXY
The Los Angeles Galaxy saw their postseason aspirations and 10-year run in the MLS Cup Playoffs come to an end with the loss to FC Dallas last Saturday. The Galaxy now have 36 points from 31 matches, two behind Real Salt Lake in the Western Conference, and three ahead of the Columbus Crew at the foot of the MLS overall table.
TEAM NEWS
Galaxy head coach Frank Yallop made no changes to the team that had defeated Chivas USA 3-0 the weekend before in Carson.
Here's Yallop's team (4-2-3-1): Kevin Hartman - Chris Albright, Ugo Ihemelu, Tyrone Marshall (Gavin Glinton 64), Ante Jazic - Paulo Nagamura, Peter Vagenas - Santino Quaranta (Herculez Gomez 59), Cobi Jones (Quavas Kirk 59), Landon Donovan - Alan Gordon. [Substitutes Not Used: Steve Cronin, Josh Gardner, Stefani Miglioranzi, Kyle Veris]
"We're obviously disappointed since we're not in the playoffs. In the overall season, we weren't good enough to make it because we didn't get enough points," Yallop said. "We're disappointed. The effort was there but our defensive play was poor again. We had a few chances to score. Overall, it felt like a reflection of our season. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good enough."
In the end, the Galaxy put up a valiant effort but fell, eliminating them from playoff contention. It was the first time in their 11-year history that they had failed to make the playoffs. They also became just the second defending MLS Cup champion to fail to qualify for the postseason, after D.C. United in 2000.
"We knew we had 45 minutes left to salvage our season and keep our (playoff) hopes alive," said defender Ante Jazic. "Unfortunately, we weren't able to get it done. Dallas played well and scored goals in crucial moments in the game and we weren't able to respond."
The Galaxy laid siege over the final half hour, but despite a terrific goal from Donovan - his 10th of the year - they weren't able to stay alive for the final weekend.
"It's disappointing. We didn't start the game well. We needed to play better, to want it more. We didn't start the game good and we didn't start the second half good either," Donovan said. "So, two goals on two errors and that was the difference."
