Two ex-Los Angeles Galaxy players returned to The Home Depot Center on Saturday night and scored goals against their former club, leading a 10-man Columbus Crew to a 3-2 victory.
Columbus was down a man for an hour after Ezra Hendrickson was sent off, but still managed to get goals from Chad Marshall, Ned Grabavoy and Alejandro Moreno as the Crew were able to claim a second consecutive victory (both coming in the last four days) and return the Galaxy to the loss column.
The game also saw each goalkeeper save a penalty in the first half, on either side of Hendrickson's ejection. Gavin Glinton scored midway through the second half to pull the Galaxy close, then Edson Buddle scored in stoppage time to provide the final scoreline.
Despite the fact that the Galaxy were playing in the friendly confines of The Home Depot Center, it was the Crew that started the game as the more determined side. Los Angeles barely saw the ball through the first 20 minutes of the game as the field was noticeably tilted toward their defensive third.
The constant pressure nearly paid off in the seventh minute when Eddie Gaven shook loose from his defender inside of the penalty area. From about 12 yards out, Gaven got an open look, but shot straight at Joe Cannon, who made the easy save.
Columbus was not to be denied, though, and in the 15th minute the Crew opened the scoring. Guillermo Barros Schelotto won a free kick on the right flank. The Argentinean stepped over the ball and played an inch-perfect cross to Chad Marshall, who headed the ball off the inside of the post and past Cannon.
The goal lit a bit of a fire under the Galaxy, who finally got the offense going. Just a minute after Marshall's goal, Galaxy newcomer Chris Klein fired a looping shot from the corner of the 18, forcing a fingertip save from Will Hesmer.
The Galaxy managed a period of sustained pressure starting with a corner kick in the 24th minute. Buddle and Nate Jaqua fought hard for a loose ball in the area, eventually forcing the ball to squirt free to Cobi Jones. Jones turned and fired but his shot was blocked by a pair of Crew defenders.
Two minutes later, on another corner kick, Abel Xavier was pushed down in the box by Marcos Gonzalez, and referee Michael Kennedy awarded the penalty. Former Crew midfielder Kyle Martino took the spot kick against his former club, but his shot was easily saved by Hesmer.
The game took an ugly turn minutes later when former Galaxy defender Hendrickson was shown a straight red card for an cynical tackle from behind on Klein in the midfield.
Down to 10 men, it was Columbus who nearly doubled the advantage on the scoreboard. Just before halftime, Kyle Veris was ruled to have pulled down Gaven in the box. Another former Galaxy player, Grabavoy, lined up his kick from the penalty spot, but this time it was Cannon guessing correctly to make the save.
The second half took a little while to get going but in the 57th minute Columbus dented the back of the net for the second time. Duncan Oughton won a header and flicked it on for Gaven, who found a streaking Grabavoy all alone in the middle. Grabavoy made up for his earlier penalty miss, calmly tucking the ball into the back of the net.
Again, the goal sparked something in the Galaxy, who came close in the 64th minute. Kevin Harmse slipped a ball through for Martino, who beat a charging Hesmer to the ball, but missed just wide of the near post.
The Galaxy finally pulled one back minutes later though. Jones made one of his patented runs up the right side and crossed to the middle for second half sub Gavin Glinton. Glinton dove forward between defenders for a wildly acrobatic header, powering his shot into the top corner.
The Galaxy continued their onslaught, and came close to an equalizer in the 72nd minute. Harmse picked out Buddle with a long diagonal ball out of midfield. Buddle laid the ball off to Jones with his first touch, but his effort went well over the crossbar.
As the Galaxy scrambled for their second goal, Columbus started to pack it in, playing Moreno up top by himself, and dropping the remaining eight players well into their own end.
The strategy nearly backfired in the 82nd minute. The Galaxy earned a pair of free kicks, the second one from about 20 yards out. Pete Vagenas eventually took a shot from the set play that scraped the top of the net.
Columbus answered, putting the game out of reach from a corner kick in the 84th minute. Gaven took the corner from the right and picked out an onrushing Moreno amidst a static Galaxy defense, who drove a header past Cannon to restore the two-goal advantage against his one-time team.
The Galaxy managed a late consolation goal in the first minute of stoppage time. Buddle hit a side volley past Hesmer, after the Columbus 'keeper hit a weak punched clearance that didn't make it past the penalty spot.
Vagenas then nearly snatched a late draw with an angled shot from the left, but Hesmer was able to turn outside the near post with a fine dive at full stretch.
Even with a man advantage for two-thirds of the game, the Galaxy rarely looked like the dominant side, and now must return to the drawing board to prepare for an equally hungry Chicago Fire side next weekend.
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
