A pair of goals in both halves from the Los Angeles Galaxy and the MetroStars resulted in a 2-2 draw at The Home Depot Center on Saturday night.
With the tie, the Galaxy's record without star striker Landon Donovan went to 1-0-2. Donovan's goal-scoring prowess was being used by the U.S. national team after he scored two goals in a 3-0 decision over Costa Rica in World Cup qualifying. The Galaxy could have used one of those goals Saturday, but instead had to settle for a share of the points at home.
The Metrostars strategy was very obvious early on. They originated their attack from the flanks and played balls into the middle to test a defense with very little MLS experience.
For the most part the plan worked, and the Metros controlled the possession for long stretches of the first half, opening up an early lead in just the fifth minute. The goal came off of an Amado Guevara corner kick. Galaxy 'keeper Kevin Hartman came off of his line to collect the cross, but ran into Metros forward John Wolyniec. With Harman on the ground and the entire stadium expecting a whistle on Wolyniec, Abbe Ibrahim hit a relatively uncontested header into the back of the net to give the away side the early advantage.
The Metros continued to create the better chances in the opening stages of the half. Wolyniec nearly doubled the Metros' lead just minutes after Ibrahim's goal. Mike Magee hit a well placed cross to the edge of the six-yard box. Wolyniec outpaced Ugo Ihemelu to the ball, but his glancing header skipped past the post.
Magee was the beneficiary of a long ball himself just a few minutes later. In alone behind the defense, Magee took just a moment too long to collect the ball and set up his shot, allowing the Galaxy defense to recover and deflect his effort over the bar for a corner kick.
The ensuing corner kick actually led to the Galaxy equalizer in the 19th minute. After clearing the corner kick, Jovan Kirovski led a Galaxy counter attack that sprung Cobi Jones loose in the Metros' penalty area. Jones rounded Metros 'keeper Zach Wells, forcing the goalie to pull down Jones in the box. The resulting penalty kick was taken by Kirovski, and clinically finished in the lower right corner to even the game.
It wasn't too long before the visitors started to take control again, and in the 25th minute, the Metros were just inches from taking the lead. Again it was a long ball played in from a free kick that created the havoc in the Galaxy penalty area. Wolyniec's nose for the ball almost got the better of the Galaxy, but his deft touch banged off the post.
As the half wore on, the Galaxy started to even things out, generating a little offense of their own. A great save by Wells denied Naldo da Conceicao his fist goal of the season. The Brazilian's first time effort from a Ned Grabavoy cross was targeted towards the near post, but a diving Wells cleared the danger.
The chance sparked the crowd's energy as well as the Galaxy's, and the momentum definitely shifted in their favor for the first time in the match. Then, in the 34th minute Jones gave his side the lead.
A long hopeful ball by Todd Dunivant was sent in Jones' direction. Metros defender Tim Regan misplayed the ball, allowing Jones to go in on a partial breakaway. The veteran midfielder looked up to see Wells in no man's land and lofted a chip over the 'keeper to give the Galaxy their first lead of the night.
Both sides played back on forth for the final minutes of the half, but no significant danger was felt by either team and the Galaxy took a one-goal advantage into the locker room.
Even with the one goal lead, the Galaxy defense looked unsettled, and in the early goings of the second half had to scramble to keep the lead. Hartman, normally steady as a rock in goal, misplayed a ball, punching a cross straight up into the air only to see it crash back down off of his own crossbar.
The first 20 minutes of the second half lacked the excitement of the first, and the Galaxy defense finally began to settle in and limit the Metros chances. Scoring chances were few and far between as well though, and the second half began to take on the form of a midfield stalemate.
The 72nd minute marked the equalizer for the Metros after Magee connected with Lisi, who found Sergio Galvan Rey, the King of Goals, in behind the Galaxy defense. Rey's shot curled around Hartman, and snuck in just inside the far post.
With the score tied at two, both sides seemed intent on getting the game winner, and both 'keepers began to handle the ball with a little more regularity. The Galaxy almost took home the win just minutes from the final whistle. A scramble in the Metrostars penalty area left Pablo Chinchilla with a point blank shot from six yards out. The Galaxy defender couldn't keep the bouncing ball down, and his shot sailed well over the bar.
With the last good chance of the half wasted, both the home team and the visitors added a point to their season totals.
MLSnet.com Man of the Match: Sergio Galvan Rey (MetroStars)
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
MetroStars (4-3-4) vs. Los Angeles Galaxy (6-2-2)
June 04, 2005 -- The Home Depot Center
Scoring Summary:
MET -- Abbe Ibrahim 2 (Amado Guevara 5) 5
LA -- Jovan Kirovski 4 (penalty kick) 19
LA -- Cobi Jones 3 (Todd Dunivant 1, Ugo Ihemelu 1) 34
MET -- Sergio Galvan Rey 3 (Mark Lisi 2, Mike Magee 3) 72
MetroStars -- Zach Wells, Chris Leitch, Jeff Parke, Jeff Agoos, Tim Regan, Mike Magee, Michael Bradley, Mark Lisi, Amado Guevara, Abbe Ibrahim (Sergio Galvan Rey 46), John Wolyniec.
Substitutes Not Used: Gilberto Flores, Carlos Mendes, Seth Stammler, Jonny Walker.
TOTAL SHOTS: 13 (Jeff Parke 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (4 tied with 1); FOULS: 12 (Mark Lisi 3, Tim Regan 3); OFFSIDES: 10 (John Wolyniec 5); CORNER KICKS: 10 (Amado Guevara 5); SAVES: 3 (Zach Wells 3)
Los Angeles Galaxy -- Kevin Hartman, Pablo Chinchilla, Ugo Ihemelu, Troy Roberts, Todd Dunivant, Peter Vagenas, Paulo Nagamura, Ned Grabavoy (Herculez Gomez 46), Cobi Jones, Ednaldo da Conceicao (Paul Broome 76), Jovan Kirovski.
Substitutes Not Used: Benjamin Benditson, Mubarike Chisoni, Steve Cronin, Michael Enfield, Josh Gardner, Guillermo Gonzalez.
TOTAL SHOTS: 11 (Ednaldo da Conceicao 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (Cobi Jones 2); FOULS: 13 (Todd Dunivant 3, Jovan Kirovski 3); OFFSIDES: 10 (Jovan Kirovski 5); CORNER KICKS: 5 (Jovan Kirovski 5); SAVES: 2 (Kevin Hartman 2)
Misconduct Summary:
LA -- Todd Dunivant (caution; Reckless Foul) 45
MET -- Amado Guevara (caution; Dissent) 60
MET -- Tim Regan (caution; Reckless Foul) 66
MET -- Sergio Galvan Rey (caution; Tackle from Behind) 75
LA -- Troy Roberts (caution; Tackle from Behind) 90
Referee: Abiodun Okulaja
Referee's Assistants: -Thomas Supple; Adam Wienckowski
4th Official: Ian Anderson
Attendance: 20,331
Time of Game: 1:51
Weather: Clear-and-69-degrees
All Statistics contained in this boxscore are unofficial.
