The Los Angeles Galaxy had a brief 1-0 lead on the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night at Giants Stadium after Herculez Gomez found the net, but the home side claimed all three points when Edson Buddle and Jean Philippe Peguero scored a minute apart.
The Red Bulls started as if they wanted to put a quick end to their steady stream of draws. Less than two minutes into the game, John Wolyniec tapped the ball off the far post and Peguero had his shot from 14 yards saved by Galaxy 'keeper Kevin Hartman.
In the ninth minute, Buddle laid the ball off to Seth Stammler, who put the ball wide of the far post from 20 yards. Five minutes later Buddle headed Youri Djorkaeff's free kick wide to Hartman's right.
Then midway through the half, Paulo Nagamura played the ball over the top of the Red Bulls defense to Gomez, who appeared to be offside. But the referee assistant's flag remained down and Gomez beat Meola to give the Galaxy a 1-0 lead.
The Red Bulls deficit didn't last long, though, as Buddle got out of a funk with his second goal of the year two minutes later, his first since the opener at D.C. United. Youri Djorkaeff played a sublime ball from the center circle that landed on Buddle's foot and the New Rochelle, N.Y. native chipped Hartman to level the score.
Just 69 seconds later the Red Bulls took the lead on a give-and-go between Seth Stammler and Peguero. The Haitian striker put the ball underneath Hartman for his sixth goal of the year.
The Galaxy had the first scoring chance of the second half, but Tony Meola tapped Todd Dunivant's shot from distance over the bar for a corner kick in the 52nd minute.
Mo Johnston made his first change four minutes later, bringing on Mike Magee for the first time since May 24 against FC Dallas. He replaced Mark Lisi, who has been suffering from an abdominal strain. In the 59th minute Marvell Wynne entered the match, replacing Chris Henderson on the right side of Johnston's five-man midfield.
Galaxy boss Frank Yallop made his first sub in the 64th minute, bringing on Michael Enfield to replace Josh Gardner. In the 67th minute, Alan Gordon came on for Wolyniec.
Djorkaeff had a golden chance to seal the win in the 81st minute. He took Buddle's pass and tried to place the ball far post, but instead he hit the Budweiser advertisement to Hartman's left.
Two minutes later Nagamura put his shot from 20 yards out wide off the side netting. The Galaxy spent much of the final 10 minutes of regulation and four minutes of stoppage time desperately pushing forward for the equalizer. But the Red Bulls staved off the attack and the Galaxy lost for the eighth time in the last nine games.
The Red Bulls head to Chicago next Sunday for the official grand opening of Toyota Park while the Galaxy play host to Houston next Saturday.
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
