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LOS ANGELES GALAXY v COLUMBUS CREW
THE HOME DEPOT CENTER, Carson, Calif.
7:30 p.m. PT (HDNet)
April 22, 2006 (WEEK #4) / MLS Game #21
Sigi Schmid returns to The Home Depot Center for the first time as coach since he was let go by the Los Angeles Galaxy during the 2004 season - with that club in first place. He brings in a Columbus Crew club that did not lose to the Galaxy in three matches last season, but one that has yet to win this year. The Galaxy also got off to a rocky start to begin their title defense - until their dramatic victory against in-stadium rival Chivas USA last weekend.
REFEREE: Mauricio Navarro. SAR (bench): Steven Davidson; JAR (opposite): Amato DeLuca; 4th: Silvio Petrescu
MLS Career: first game
MLS 2006: first game
Games involving Galaxy: first game
Games involving Crew: first game
INJURY REPORT: LOS ANGELES GALAXY - OUT: FW Alan Gordon (sports hernia); DF Kyle Veris (R fifth metatarsal sprain); DF Ben Benditson (sports hernia; PROBABLE: DF Tyrone Marshall (L MCL sprain); FW Quavas Kirk (R foot fracture) ... COLUMBUS CREW - OUT: MF Duncan Oughton (R knee), GK Jonny Walker (lower back pain), DF Jed Zayner (L knee); GK Bill Gaudette (R hand); Danny Szetela (L foot fracture)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: LA: FW Quavas Kirk (U.S. U-20 national team)
SUSPENDED: none
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (24 meetings): Galaxy 8 wins (0 shootout), 29 goals ... Crew 11 wins (3 shootout), 34 goals ... 5 draws
AT LOS ANGELES: (14 meetings): Galaxy 7 wins (0 shootout), 17 goals ... Crew 5 wins (2 shootout), 14 goals ... 2 draws
This is the first of two meetings between the clubs, the only one set for The Home Depot Center. It's the first match back in Los Angeles for current Crew coach Sigi Schmid, who was in charge of the Galaxy from 1999-2004. The lone meeting in Columbus is scheduled for July 22.LAST YEAR (MLS):
4/2: CLB 3, LA 0 (Buddle 8, 47; Razov (54)
5/25: LA 0, CLB 0
A year ago, the Crew won the season series, winning the first match between the two on Opening Day at Crew Stadium, then playing to a scoreless draw in the Southland six weeks later.
It was the first time since 2001 the Crew won the season series; the teams did split their two meetings in 2002, each winning on home ground.
The Galaxy haven't defeated Columbus in the last four meetings, two Crew victories and two draws. Their last win came April 24, 2004 (2-0).
Coaches record: Steve Sampson vs. CLB: P3 W0 L2 D1 ... Sigi Schmid v LA: first game
LOS ANGELES GALAXY
The defending MLS Cup champion claimed their first victory of the season in dramatic style, getting two late goals in defeating Chivas USA 2-1 in the first Super Clasíco of 2006. The Galaxy are now tied for second place in the Western Conference with four points from three matches, along with the Colorado Rapids, both three points adrift of FC Dallas.
LAST MATCH
The Galaxy did not lose a single Super Clasico to "little brother" Chivas USA a year ago, winning all four league meetings as well as a U.S. Open Cup match. In fact, when Ante Razov turned home a pull-back from Juan Pablo Garcia seconds after the second-half restart, it was the first time ever Chivas had held a lead over the Galaxy.
But the Galaxy rescued the victory in dramatic fashion, Donovan creating both goals for Glen, acquired just last week from Colorado. In the 84th minute, a long throw-in was won in a heading duel in the Chivas penalty area by Donovan, and Glen was there to sweep the ball home for the equalizer.
Then four minutes into a scheduled seven minutes of stoppage time, then two struck again. Donovan set off on a mazy run through the heart of the Chivas defense, drifting to the right before swinging in a low cross that Glen got onto the end, slamming a first-time volley to the back of the net to keep the Galaxy perfect against their in-stadium tenants.
Galaxy boss Steve Sampson rang in the changes for the first Chivas derby, though he made just one change in personnel - striker Cornell Glen coming in for midfielder Josh Gardner. But Landon Donovan moved back into an attacking midfield role as Sampson looked to have him have more impact on the proceedings.
Here's Sampson's team (4-3-2-1): Kevin Hartman - Chris Albright, Ugo Ihemelu, Tyrone Marshall (Troy Roberts 63), Todd Dunivant - Ned Grabavoy, Peter Vagenas, Paulo Nagamura (Josh Gardner 75) - Cobi Jones (Herculez Gomez 65), Landon Donovan - Cornell Glen. [Substitutes Not Used: Steve Cronin, Brian Dunseth, Michael Enfield, Marcelo Saragosa]
"I was very pleased with the first half and how we possessed the ball and creating chances. Cornell (Glen) had two very good chances in the first half; if he had just slipped (the ball) a little bit sooner I am sure he would have scored," Sampson said. "But, most importantly, I liked the way we played, but then to give up that early goal in the second half was just disastrous and inexcusable. I really enjoyed the way our guys fought back and never gave up believing in themselves.TEAM NEWS
Making his first start with the Galaxy, Glen had a number of chances early on without converting any. But he still potted the two necessary to provide his new team with their first victory - after a little halftime pep talk.
"It always (feels bad) when you miss early chances," said Glen. "If I didn't score the guys might be kicking my butt right now. As I said it was a team effort. The guys weren't yelling at me. They were telling me to keep going."
Said Sampson: "I liked the way Cornell Glen finished his chances in the second half. He was very down on himself at halftime and the guys picked him up. He wanted to make a statement in the second half and I think he did."
Glen was earlier named by technical director Leo Beenhakker to Trinidad & Tobago's provisional 24-man roster for the FIFA World Cup.
"This is a professional organization. The guys here work very hard. Here they want wins. It's great to be here going into the World Cup," he said. " ... It's good to be with a team that's won a championship. I felt welcomed here from the first day. I know that coach (Sampson) wanted me. I'm comfortable and I'm just going to do my best here to help this team win."
A number of times last season, the Galaxy saw games slip away in added time. Freddy Adu stole a win for D.C. United last season in stoppage time, and Taylor Twellman earned the Revolution a tie, also in stoppage time. Both games were played at The Home Depot Center as well. But Saturday, on what the Galaxy still consider to be their field, they were the ones coming up with late heroics.
"It seems like we gave up a goal every time we were late in a game here at home," said Donovan about the larger than normal amount of stoppage time in Saturday's second half. "Realistically though, the half should be 45 minutes. Six, seven, or eight minutes were taken away from us, so it was fair."COLUMBUS CREW
The Columbus Crew claimed their first point of the young season in their home opener, quickly answering the Chicago Fire before settling for a 1-1 draw Saturday afternoon at Crew Stadium. The Crew are still at the foot of the Eastern Conference table with one point from three matches, a point behind Chicago, two behind New York Red Bulls and eight adrift of division-leading Kansas City Wizards.
LAST MATCH
The Fire had a win and a draw from the first two games to start their nine-game road swing while their new stadium is completed, while the Crew were the only team in MLS without a point from their first two games.
The visitors took the lead early in the second half, as Ohio native Chris Rolfe once again showed you can go home again. Chad Barrett raced through the heart of the Crew defense before slipping a through ball to Rolfe, who finished with aplomb from inside the area (49). It was his fourth goal in three league matches in Columbus against the Crew.
But the hosts pulled level just six minutes later. Jim Curtin was adjudged to have bundled over Kei Kamara from behind, and Sebastian Rozental perfectly slotted his penalty inside the left-hand post for the leveller.
Crew boss Sigi Schmid made two changes to the team that lost 3-1 to the Colorado Rapids in Denver the previous weekend. Marcos Gonzalez returned from a hip injury to come back into central defense, Rusty Pierce moving to left fullback as Ritchie Kotschau went to the substitutes' bench. Sebastian Rozental also returned to the lineup after missing the Colorado match with a pre-arranged fitness assignment; Kyle Martino returned to the subs' bench to make way for the Chilean international.
Here's Schmid's team (4-4-1-1): Jon Busch - Frankie Hejduk, Marcos Gonzalez, Chad Marshall, Rusty Pierce - Jacob Thomas, Brandon Moss, Danny Szetela (Joel Kitamirike 71), Eddie Gaven - Sebastian Rozental (Jason Garey 64) - Kei Kamara (Kyle Martino 77). [Substitutes Not Used: Knox Cameron, Andy Gruenebaum, Ritchie Kotschau, Tim Ward]TEAM NEWS
After allowing three goals in each of their first two games, the Crew were looking to tighten things up in the back - a goal that saw success.
"The No. 1 objective this week was not to give up goals," Schmid said. "Offensively we need to get better, but I'm happy we held it together defensively and that we got a point. You've got to start one at a time."
Still, the Fire had a couple of near opportunities in the first half - including a shot by Chris Rolfe that rattled off the base of the post after he dispossessed Chad Marshall at the top of the area.
"Baby steps," said goalkeeper Jon Busch to the Columbus Dispatch. "Defensively, we were much better, but we gave one away and we wanted to get a clean sheet. One lapse, and we got caught numbers down. But we didn't want to lose at home, and it's something to build off of."
Although he had been away from the club for the previous weekend while participating in a high-level conditioning regime, Rozental immediately grabbed the ball to take the penalty in the 55th minute.
"Right away when the penalty was called, Sebastian went looking for the ball," Schmid said. "The No. 1 thing on penalties is confidence, and you want guys who are going to have the confidence to step up and take it." Said Rozental to the Dispatch: "I like to take them because I like the pressure," he said. "It's a glorious moment in football, and I want to be part of it."
After starting all 27 of his appearances a year ago, Martino came off the bench for the first time since a June 19, 2004 match against D.C. United. After that substitute outing, he made 18 appearances over the final 19 games in '04, starting all.
But Martino said his difficulties this season have stemmed from a stint with the U.S. national team while his recovery from offseason hip surgery wasn't complete.
"Things are not flowing as well as they could be," he said. "I'm not upset. I understand. But I could have spent the next four years regretting not going to that camp. Instead, I'll regret the next two months or so that I'm not fully physically fit."
Danny Szetela will be lost to the club for the next couple of months after breaking a bone in his left foot during the match against Chicago.
"(Danny and I) started to develop a little bit of chemistry in there, and it's unfortunate that happened," Brandon Moss said to the Columbus Dispatch. "I've got a lot of learning to do, as do a lot of players on this team. Things are happening so much faster. You take three touches and you're going to lose the ball."
Said Szetela: "I've felt like I've been battling injuries for the past 2 1 /2 years here. This was the year I was hoping for. My second full season, I really wanted it to be big for me and my team. But I'll still have half a season, and hopefully I'll come back fast and healthy."
