Gyasi Zardes finally found the back net for the Galaxy on Saturday night.
By Ivan Yeo
Things finally went the Los Angeles Galaxy’s way on Saturday night.
After months of frustration and despair, the Galaxy finally got to experience some joy and happiness, and most importantly, a win. Goals from Romain Alessadrini from the penalty spot as well as strikes from Emmanuel Boateng and Gyasi Zardes enabled the Galaxy to snap a 10-match winless streak with a 3-0 win over the Colorado Rapids at the StubHub Center.
“One day our luck is going to change, and I think it changed today,” Galaxy keeper Jon Kempin said. “We got a couple of good goals, we got a good call in the box, a penalty that started everything.”
The win it’s the Galaxy’s first since June 21, when they defeated the Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Since then, LA has endured losing streaks of four and five matches and saw Sigi Schmid replace Curt Onalfo as head coach. Sandwiched in between the two losing streaks was a scoreless draw in Schmid’s first game back on the LA sidelines, the only time the Galaxy had earned points over the last two months. It is also the Galaxy’s first win at StubHub Center since April 7.
“We talked about that after the game in the locker room,” Galaxy head coach Sigi Schmid said. “We said we’ve got to turn this place into a fortress again and today was maybe a first step in that direction.”
The Galaxy got a break starting in the 17th minute. Bradford Jameson sent a forward ball for a sprinting Boateng, who took a quick touch into the penalty area. Boateng sent a shot that did pass keeper Zach MacMath, but shot was in a tight angle, Rapids center back Kortne Ford stopped the ball though it stayed inside the six-yard box, Zardes swooped in trying to win the ball back, MacMath tried to shield the ball from Zardes, a collision ensued with MacMath giving out a slight forearm, sending Zardes to the ground. Referee Jair Marrufo decided the contact was good enough to award the Galaxy the penalty spot despite the Rapids’ protest, and a minute later, Alessandrini went left to bury the penalty, giving the Galaxy its first lead since July 1.
With a lead to work with, the Galaxy soon went back on the attack in the 23rd minute. Bradley Diallo crossed a ball for the penalty area, Alex Sjoberg initially cut off the cross, but it went high in the air. Zardes and Ford both went up for the ball, both players missed, but the ball stayed in the box going towards Jameson, but he instead chose to leave it for Boateng, who charged in and fired a howler that beat MacMath far post to double the LA lead.
The Galaxy finished off the match in the second half. Romain Alessandrini took a ball from Boateng, dribbled into the penalty area, sent a short cross into the six-yard box and Zardes stuck out his right leg and tapped the cross past MacMath into the back net.
“It feels great to hit the back of the net like I’ve said before,” Zardes said. “It gives me motivation to keep working extremely hard to progress as a striker and try to get more goals for the rest of the season.”
It was Zardes’ first goal since last season, even as the Rapids pleaded with Marrufo to review whether Zardes was in an offside position.
“Well we didn’t have video review all night which was helpful because we know how those turn out,” joked Schmid.
The Galaxy won’t have long though to savor the moment. The Galaxy next head up north to Seattle to face the Sounders next Sunday in Schmid’s first game back in Seattle since being fired by the Sounders in the middle of last season.
