The Los Angeles Galaxy answered an early Crew goal with two quick ones of its own and held on for a 2-1 victory before a sellout crowd of 24,300 Sunday afternoon at Crew Stadium. Alejandro Moreno put the Crew into the lead after just two minutes, but the Galaxy got goals from Troy Roberts and Kyle Martino four minutes apart before the match was a quarter old and then survived a late Columbus rally for the win. The Crew remains two points behind the eighth-place Chicago Fire and the final playoff position.
Before the standing-room-only crowd asked to wear black to "black out" the Galaxy, the Crew got off to the best possible start. Midfielder Duncan Oughton slid the ball through to the right corner, finding Andy Herron. Herron took a touch to control and sent an out-swinging cross to the back post, where Moreno worked free to snap a header past Galaxy keeper Joe Cannon and into the net for his team-leading sixth goal of the year.
But it took the Galaxy just 11 minutes to answer. Landon Donovan took a free kick from the right wing, which fell into a wild scramble in the box. Frankie Hejduk was barely able to get a foot to it for the Crew but the ball was deflected off Roberts, who was then able to poke it just over the line before Columbus keeper Will Hesmer could reach it.
In the 16th minute the Galaxy capitalized on another lapse in the Columbus defense. Donovan again played the ball into the box and Hejduk again got a touch on it, but it deflected straight to Martino at the top of the box. Martino took a touch to create space and sent in a low hard shot through the lanky legs of defender Ezra Hendrickson and into the corner of the net for a 2-1 Galaxy lead.
As the match entered the final 20 minutes, the Crew started to see the urgency of the situation and pile on the pressure, earning a few corners and sending a few shots and crosses in toward Cannon. In the 72nd minute, the Crew had a sustained flurry that included a couple of corners. Ezra Hendrickson sent one header toward goal that Cobi Jones headed clear from the goalmouth, and Cannon was able to corral another dangerous cross that trickled dangerously close to his net.
Then in the 86th minute, a cross came in from the right and substitute Kei Kamara got up well for a free header, only to send it crashing off the face of the crossbar. As the 90 minutes wound down, the Crew won the its eighth and final corner of the game (to the Galaxy's zero). Moreno brought one more save out of Cannon in stoppage time, his fifth in the game.
Yet despite the Crew's overwhelming statistical advantage, the Galaxy maintained its lead on the scoreboard. The Crew returns to action on Saturday (Oct. 6), when it will play host to FC Dallas at 7:30 p.m. in its regular-season home finale.
Los Angeles Galaxy (7-13-6) vs. Columbus Crew (7-10-10)
September 30, 2007 -- Columbus Crew Stadium
Scoring Summary:
CLB -- Alejandro Moreno 6 (Andy Herron 2, Duncan Oughton 4) 2 LA -- Troy Roberts 1 (unassisted) 13 LA -- Kyle Martino 3 (unassisted) 16
Los Angeles Galaxy -- Joe Cannon, Chris Klein, Ty Harden, Troy Roberts, Mike Randolph, Cobi Jones (Ante Jazic 88), Josh Tudela, Peter Vagenas, Kyle Martino (Kevin Harmse 71), Landon Donovan, Alan Gordon (Gavin Glinton 19).
Substitutes Not Used: Edson Buddle, Steve Cronin, Quavas Kirk, Carlos Pavon
Columbus Crew -- Will Hesmer, Frankie Hejduk, Marcos Gonzalez, Ezra Hendrickson, Ned Grabavoy (Stefani Miglioranzi 64), Danny O'Rourke, Duncan Oughton, Eddie Gaven, Andy Herron (Jacob Thomas 55), Jason Garey (Kei Kamara 78), Alejandro Moreno.
Substitutes Not Used: Andy Gruenebaum, Adam Moffat, Robbie Rogers, Tim Ward
Misconduct Summary:
LA -- Josh Tudela (caution; Professional Foul) 14 LA -- Kyle Martino (caution; Professional Foul) 67
Referee: Kevin Stott
Referee's Assistants: Nate Clement; Peter Balciunas 4th
official: Hilario Grajeda Time of game: 1:52
Attendance: 24,300
Weather: Partly Cloudy -and- 80 degrees
