The LA Galaxy were happy to escape with a rain-sodden draw Sunday evening, even if they conceded a lead in the process. Unfortunately, their MLS Cup title-game rematch with New England came at a heavy price.
LA's injury crisis, which has deprived them of 14 players at one point or another through the first three months of the season, deepened in the 2-2 draw. Forwards Jose Villarreal and Alan Gordon and right back Dan Gargan exited after picking up knocks, Gordon having come on to replace Villarreal in the first half.
The Galaxy believe artificial turf has contributed to the troubles, and Gillette Stadium's surface was slicker than normal due to a driving rainstorm that lasted throughout the match.
“These are difficult conditions for players to play on,” head coach Bruce Arena told media in Foxborough, Massachusetts. “We've gotten a lot of injuries on turf this year. I think if your body's not conditioned for it, it's difficult, and we've suffered a lot of injuries on the artificial fields.”
LA (5-4-6) traveled without striker Robbie Keane, who has just returned from a groin injury that forced him to the sidelines for seven weeks, primarily because of the surface -- Keane thinks the turf at BC Place played a role when he was hurt in an April 4 loss at Vancouver -- and they came into the game with just two healthy outside backs.
Now that's down to one, 20-year-old Oscar Sorto, after Gargan was forced to the sidelines 20 minutes into the second half with a groin strain. Todd Dunivant, who has missed the last nine games with a leg injury, is training fully. First-choice left back Robbie Rogers, who's been out the last four matches, hopes to be doing so in the coming week.
Neither are certain for next weekend's game at the StubHub Center against Vancouver, and there's no word on when AJ DeLaGarza, who can play anywhere along the backline, will return from foot and groin ailments.
Baggio Husidic
played at left back for the first two times in his career in the loss two weeks ago at Orlando City and in Wednesday's victory over Real Salt Lake, and he saw more time there after Gargan exited.
Villarreal, who missed five games earlier in the season with a hamstring strain, left midway through the first half with a sprained left shoulder. Gordon, who had played through hip soreness, departed with about 25 minutes to go with a calf strain.
The injuries marred a match that was for the most part quite electric, with both teams taking and then surrendering leads. Ignacio Maganto got his first MLS goal and first assist as LA netted multiple goals for the first time since mid-April. The two very fine strikes, the second by Gyasi Zardes, show the first real signs that the young attackers can find ways to generate offense.
“It's a good point on the road,” said Arena, whose team had claimed 1-0 victories in its two previous games, nine days earlier against Houston and the midweek encounter with RSL. “This game tonight was hectic, crazy, out of control. Not an easy game. I give our guys credit, going down a goal in the early minutes and being able to get a point out of it against a good team.
“It's a good result, a good week for us: two wins and a draw.”
The best moment for the Galaxy might have been on Zardes' 27th-minute goal. Maganto, on the left flank, rocketed a ball to Villarreal just above the New England box. Villarreal, his back to the net, hit an expert back heel through Jose Goncalves' legs for Zardes to finish.
Villarreal, who had picked up his injury eight minutes earlier, left the game immediately afterward.
The cross, Maganto said, was an accident.
“I went to switch the ball, but I didn't hit it long enough,” the rookie Spaniard said. “It went to Villarreal, but nice touch and an assist to Gyasi.”
