Robbie Keane scored an important equalizer right before halftime.
By Ivan Yeo
It may have been a home game for the LA Galaxy, but you couldn’t tell the difference upon looking at the crowd at the StubHub Center on Saturday night.
The Galaxy started off the 2015 International Champions Cup against Mexican superpower Club America on Saturday night. The StubHub Center may be the Galaxy’s home pitch, and the team itself had its reason to celebrate, as Steven Gerrard made his long-awaited debut in a Galaxy shirt. Despite all that though, the crowd was clearly on America’s side on Saturday night.
The Galaxy were not fazed one bit, not even after falling behind seven minutes into the first half. Robbie Keane scored the equalizer just before halftime, then Alan Gordon did what he always does; score winning goals late in a match. Gordon’s header with ten minutes to go proved to be the winner in the Galaxy’s 2-1 win over the reigning CONCACAF Champions League winners.
“It was fun,” Gordon said of the atmosphere. “It was kind of a hostile crowd in our own stadium which is never a great feeling but to come away with a win and give our supporters that were here supporting us the bragging rights is important.”
Trailing 1-0 with just minutes remaining in the first half, the Galaxy got its moment right before the half. Juninho played a long ball forward and Robbie Keane chased in down into the penalty area. Keane got a touch on the ball, which turned out to be important, as it caught both keeper Hugo Gonzalez and defender Paolo Goltz flat-footed, allowing Keane to shoot uncontested into goal at the far post for the equalizer.
Both teams played to a stalemate throughout the second half, but again, the Galaxy got that one moment and seized on it. Kenney Walker sent a long ball down the right side of the field, Raul Mendiola chased it down and sent the cross into the penalty area. Gordon ran in and made a leaping header towards goal. The header looked harmless, but instead, it glanced off the far post and crossed the goal line for a shocking goal that gave LA the lead, a lead they eventually held onto the rest of the match.
“Tonight we came out with a lot of energy and enthusiasm and we’ve put together two good games,” Gordon said. “It’s fun to play. We are all having a good time and we are glad we got the win.”
Carlos Darwin Quintero brought the America fans into a frenzied pitch in the seventh minute. Darwin Quintero received a ball from Andres Andrade, touched it forward to Francisco Rivera, who quickly played it forward back to Quintero, who had gotten behind the Galaxy back line into the penalty area. Quintero took a brief touch before firing a shot that beat keeper Brian Rowe. into the back net.
“I thought it took us 15 to 20 minutes to get into the game,” Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said. “Club America came out and really pushed the pace of the game and had us on our heels, and it took us a good 15 or 20 minutes to get going.”
The Galaxy did get going soon after. Gerrard got his first scoring chance in the 21st minute, as Dan Gargan played a ball forward to Jose Villarreal, who touched a ball to Gerrard, who made his run into the penalty area and fired a ball off his left foot, but Gonzalez made the save.
