The LA Galaxy were the better side in the first half, stayed within a goal of the New England Revolution until the 71st minute, and were battling for points almost until the end, when the Revs netted three goals to hand the defending MLS Cup champions a loss equaling the worst in club history.
Everything went south in a hurry for LA in Sunday's 5-0 debacle at Gillette Stadium, and Carlo Cudicini thought the most appropriate response was to say sorry.
“I think today we don't have to talk about the game,” the Italian goalkeeper told media in Foxborough, Mass. “Today we have to just issue apologies to our fans, to the club, to those who follow us, and, personally, to my teammates. I think that losing 5-0, [there] is no excuse for that, so I think it's pointless to try to find any excuses. It's a bad day. We have to forget quickly and start again next week.”
The Galaxy had lost so badly just once before, in a 5-0 loss to the MetroStars at the Meadowlands in June 2002. They have conceded five or more goals on 10 occasions, including one playoff game, once each in the CONCACAF Champions League and SuperLiga, and twice in friendlies, including last year's 5-1 defeat to Real Madrid. FC Dallas have been most potent against LA, in a 6-3 decision in 2009.
READ: Donovan, Galaxy cite refe's overturned call as turning point in huge loss at NE
It was a competitive game Sunday almost to the finish. The Galaxy, down by two, was pushing forward into the closing minutes, but Diego Fagundez scored a sizzling goal in the 87th minute, former Galaxy forward Chad Barrett added another in the first minute of stoppage, and Kelyn Rowe finished the rout in the 94th minute.
Head coach Bruce Arena said he wanted to “kind of make believe the last 15 minutes didn't happen” and noted that, “obviously, at the end we certainly fell apart.”
LA didn't help itself at the other end. They created more than a half-dozen chances before the Revolution put a shot on frame, and then another four or five before things spiraled away from them.
READ: Three points in Galaxy's 5-0 loss to New England
Landon Donovan said the artificial turf played a role — “the last ball sometimes gets away, it's a little bobbly, the shorts aren't as clean, so that's always a challenge” — and acknowledged the Galaxy “lacked a little bit of sharpness.”
“It wasn't a 5-0 game,” he said, “but we had a poor response.”
Oh, well. It's not the end of the world.
“Sometimes, it's a little more helpful to lose bad than it is to lose close,” Donovan said. “We played an OK 55, 60 minutes — I thought we were the better team. We can still be OK with that part, but we have to learn that if we get down a goal, get down a couple of goals, we can't just let things go like that.
"It's unacceptable. ... The game is over and we'll move on, but it never looks good to lose that way.”
