Photo: Kari Heistad (Prost Amerika/Boston)
New England Revs 2 : 2 LA Galaxy
It was just 31 seconds into this drenched game and LA keeper Jaime Pinedo found himself brutally exposed.
Luckily for him and his LA Galaxy colleagues, New England Revs’ forward Charlie Davies fired over. It should have been a warning. 238 seconds later, it was more than a warning for the MLS Champions courtesy of Teal Bunbury. Galaxy were trailing 1-0 and in disarray.
Agreed, it was pouring down heavily. Agreed, Oscar Sorto was the sixth left back used this season. Agreed, Bruce Arena cares for the Supporters Shield like Sepp Blatter cares about transparency.
Minds went back to June 2, 2013 when they were royally thumped 5-0 at the same stadium. That incidentally was the one year in the last four, LA Galaxy didn’t win MLS.
Then something incredible happened. Something so Un-Galaxy. A completely unpredictable topsy turvy encounter unfolded.
Galaxy midfielder Baggio Husidic sliced the ball amateurishly, and it fell accidentally to colleague Ignacio Maganto. He fired a cracker in for the equalising goal to make it 1-1. And it was still raining hard.
Then came a thing of beauty in the torrent.
The Jose Villareal backheel that set up Zardes for a shock Galaxy lead was something special especially given he had injured his shoulder and was not terribly mobile. He played his part in the Galaxy taking the lead – then left with a left shoulder sprain, being replaced by supersub Alan Gordon. By then, you were beginning to use a word never before used on LA Galaxy – unpredictable.
Galaxy were on a roll so no prizes for guessing what happened next.
TheRevs’ Diego Fagundez smashed in a fantastic equaliser from a free kick but frankly Penedo should have done better.
Bruce Arena with an uncharacteristically broad grin told the media at half time:
“I’m kind of speechless. None of the game has any control over anything.”
Ignacio Maganto scores. Photo: Kari Heistad
So anyone would have predicted more thrills in the second half.
But that would have been predictable, wouldn’t it?
The rain intensified during the interval and the opening ten minutes of the second half passed reasonably quietly given what had preceded. Yet at the back of Galaxy’s mind was that they had arrived in New England on a run of two victories having started the season poorly. Still nothing happened.
Both coaches made changes.
Daigo Kobayashi made his first appearance for New England since March 28. Arena made offensive changes bringing on Mika Väyrynen and Edson Buddle from defender Dan Gargan and Alan Gordon.
The ignition and spark of the first half never returned. The two sides may be good enough to repeat their appearance in last year’s MLS Cup yet, although in form Seattle Sounders and DC United will provide a bigger obstacle than last year.
