CARSON, Calif. -- With all the star power that LA Galaxy have in their lineup, perhaps the hope is that if one player has an off night, several others can step up and take over a game just like that.
That was the case Friday night, as Steven Gerrard and Gyasi Zardes put in impressive shifts for LA in their 1-0 win over the Houston Dynamo at StubHub Center, buoyed by the Englishman's 66th-minute goal.
After a hard-fought battle between the two sides through the first hour, LA finally broke through, as Baggio Husidic sent in a long cross that found Robbie Keane on the left side of the box. Keane’s shot was deflected by Houston goalkeeper Joe Willis, but the rebound fell right to a charging Gerrard, who calmly beat Dynamo defender Sheanon Williams attempting to clear the line.
“Well, there was a defender on the line, it was bit like a guessing game really,” Gerrard said after the game. “Sometimes they’re difficult because if he guesses the right way, he can stop the goal.”
Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena credited both Gerrard and Zardes for their top performances that led LA to the win.
“[Gerrard] was solid,” said Arena. “Obviously an important goal, and I thought he started the game real well.”
Zardes was also active throughout the night, constantly pressuring the Dynamo back line, and coming close on a couple of chances.
“[Zardes] did very well,” Arena noted. “Came close to pulling off a couple of plays that could have been converted into goals, but he played real hard.”
LA needed both players to play well, as Keane wasn’t his usual self, missing a penalty early in the first half, and unable to convert a number of crosses in front of goal throughout the match.
Despite not getting on the scoresheet, Arena thought Keane did his job.
“Robbie didn’t get a goal, but he was in position to get a couple and that’s all part of it,” he told reporters. “You can’t depend on one player to score. Robbie was a threat all night.”
Gerrard credited the entire squad for gutting out a tough win against a Houston Dynamo squad who made LA work hard throughout the night.
“It’s not about me tonight,” Gerrard pointed out. “It’s about a gritty team performance from front to back.”
