LA Galaxy reach MLS Cup on away goals after early setback in Seattle
SEATTLE
LA Galaxy advanced to MLS Cup for the fourth time in six years despite suffering a 2-1 defeat at Seattle in the second leg of the Western Conference championship.
Retiring star Landon Donovan will have a chance to write his own Hollywood ending against New England at StubHub Center next Sunday after his side survived to reach MLS Cup on away goals after the series finished 2-2 on aggregate.
"It seems perfect, yeah, but we have to win it," Donovan said. "That's our challenge. We're playing a team that is -- I think -- the best team in the league over the past 10 or 12 games. So it's going to be a challenge."
Sounders FC overcame a poor start to grab control of the tie through goals by Brad Evans and Clint Dempsey. Juninho responded for LA Galaxy early in the second half to arrange a grandstand finish to this scrappy and ultimately pulsating second leg.
Seattle pushed and pushed in the late stages, but it could not conjure the moment of quality required to break down the organized Galaxy defense. The final whistle delivered more heartache for the expectant Sounders FC supporters and sent Galaxy through to a showpiece final against the Revolution.
"I'm really proud of our team," Seattle coach Sigi Schmid said. "I'm proud of their effort. I'm proud of their fight to the very end. These two teams are equal. I think the aggregate score reflects that. I thought we were a little bit unlucky today. My heart goes out to our fans and our team because I think they battled and have done really well this season. They deserved to go to the MLS Cup final."
The stakes at hand led to a tentative start for the home side. Influential midfielder Osvaldo Alonso – restored to the heart of midfield after missing the first leg with a hamstring complaint – gritted through his lack of fitness as the Galaxy attempted to translate its bright start into the away goal required.
Imprecise work on the ball from both sides placed chances at a premium in the early stages. The endless stream of set pieces and throws betrayed the lack of incisiveness in the early stages, but Yedlin’s intelligent early ball after 19 minutes hinted at the profit to come as Sounders FC eventually found their way into the game.
The visitors enjoyed all of the early play, but the home side equalized in the tie by exposing the Galaxy’s reconstituted rearguard. Dempsey and Obafemi Martins combined on the edge of the area to get the Galaxy defense – stripped of linchpin A.J. DeLaGarza (hamstring) through injury – scrambling. Dempsey took advantage to tempt Penedo off his line on a walkabout and work the ball back across the face of goal. Evans gleefully smashed home to restore parity and spark his side to life.
Evans’ intervention tipped the balance completely with Sounders FC now buoyed after a poor start and the Galaxy pressed back inside its own half in a bid to cope. Martins split the center backs and squandered a chance moments after the opener, while Lamar Neagle forced Penedo down to block his diagonal effort.
Dempsey translated all of the pressure into the second goal just after the half-hour. Yedlin once again presented the initial threat with a teasing early ball toward the near post. Gonzalez scuffed the initial clearance right to Dempsey. He then paid dearly as Dempsey fired toward the near post and received a fortunate deflection to wrongfoot Penedo for the second.
"I thought we played pretty well in the first half," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. "There was a turn of events of about 10 really sloppy minutes. I thought they came out fairly passive. We had control of the game and made a couple of mistakes. They burnt us for it."
The second goal tilted the tie in favor of Seattle heading into the interval, but the potentially vital away goal always loomed in the distance to restore the Galaxy’s advantage. The incentive prompted the Galaxy to find its footing after the break and eventually use its improvement to issue the necessary response.
Donovan constructed the framework with a deep corner on the right flank. Juninho drifted into the proper position and latched onto the ball as it eluded everyone en route. He collected and then skimmed a low effort inside the near post to slide the tie back into the Galaxy’s favor.
Seattle held the advantage on the night, but it nearly watched the tie slip completely away moments later. Donovan raced clear down the left and relied on his pace to separate from the stretched Sounders line. He dragged his effort back across Stefan Frei, but the Swiss goalkeeper kicked out his leg to repel the shot and sustain the home side’s hopes a bit longer. Stefan Ishizaki also went close as the Galaxy nearly salted the game away.
The home side committed more and more numbers forward in a bid to procure the goal required to reach MLS Cup for the first time. The space invited the Galaxy forward on the counter, but those forays never quite yielded the second. The match instead settled into a dynamic with Sounders FC searching for the one chance required to secure the necessary result.
The visitors largely held firm, though Dan Gargan threw a scare into Penedo when his glancing header from a Gonzalo Pineda free kick skimmed over the crossbar. Second-half substitute Andy Rose then pulled a cross parallel to the end line as the tension and the urgency increased in the final 10 minutes.
Seattle huffed and puffed in the late stages, but the menace of that pulsating period in the first half never emerged again. The final whistle eventually broke Sounders FC’s hearts once more and sent the Galaxy through to MLS Cup for the fourth time in six years.
