Before MLS Cup 2005 headed into extra time, the New England Revolution had a dress rehearsal for what ended up as the only goal in the match.
The goal scored by Guillermo Ramirez in extra time gave the Los Angeles Galaxy the winning margin in a 1-0 victory at Pizza Hut Park.
Ramirez got his chance to when New England goalkeeper Matt Reis punched a corner kick just to the edge of the penalty area. Ramirez had time to put a shot on target that sailed over the packed goalmouth and eluded Reis, who had fallen to the ground in the aftermath of punching the ball away.
But in the 83rd minute, the Galaxy had a chance to score that goal from the same end of the field, the same corner and with a resulting shot coming from the same area of the field.
The difference was that Reis pushed the shot off the bar and it bounced harmlessly away.
"It was a good strike," Revolution coach Steve Nicol said. "We would have liked to have closed it down, but it was in the hundred-and-what minute of the game."
Legs on both were tired by extra time. Revolution forward Clint Dempsey said giving up the corner in the first place was disappointing.
"(Reis) made a good punch save," Dempsey said. "I tried to get a get a head on (Ramirez's shot) but I couldn't get my feet under me to jump. But no one even touched it so that's the way it goes."
New England's attempts to get crosses into the area during the run of play met with some success. Midfielder Shalrie Joseph headed a corner kick in the 29th minute that flew over the crossbar which was, perhaps, the Revolution's best opportunity of the game to score.
For the most part, though, the Galaxy did a good job clearing Revolution crosses into the area.
"They got the job done whenever we got the ball wide and got a cross in the box," Dempsey said. "They got a head to it and cleared it away."
Robert Whitman is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
