Galaxy gains a leg up for late victory
Gonzalez, who didn’t start, scores in stoppage time with help from defender.
The Galaxy played its seventh game of the season Saturday, which shouldn’t have been a surprise because that’s the way the Major League Soccer schedule laid it out a few months ago.
What was a surprise, though, was the fact the team was using its seventh lineup in as many games. Yet the Galaxy still found a way to make it work, with Omar Gonzalez coming off the bench late in the second half to beat Sporting Kansas City, 2-1, at StubHub Center by scoring his first goal of the season in stoppage time.
“I just stuck a leg out there and I guess it happened to go in. So I’m just absolutely thrilled,” Gonzalez said.
The play started with Juninho, knowing the final whistle was only seconds away, dashing across the field to take a corner kick. Juninho bent the ball away from the goal toward Gonzalez, who used his right leg to deflect it toward the net.
Kansas City keeper Luis Marin appeared to have a bead on the ball, but it struck midfielder Bernardo Anor first, deflecting it into the side netting.
Gonzalez, who played 90 minutes for the U.S. national team last week, was held out of the starting lineup for the first time this season. But he came on for Tommy Meyer in the 78th minute and immediately made his presence felt.
“It’s a totally different mind-set. One that I’m not used to,” Gonzalez said about coming off the bench.
The team the Galaxy put out at the start Saturday wasn’t something many people were used to either — and it looked a lot different from the one L.A. used to win the MLS Cup just five months ago.
Captain and reigning league MVP Robbie Keane didn’t suit up for the second time in six days because of a groin strain. Center back Leonardo missed his third straight game with a quadriceps problem, and forward Edson Buddle, who has played only 48 minutes this year, was also missing.
Gonzalez and forward Gyasi Zardes, who also played a full game for the national team last Wednesday, were both on the bench next to 20-year-old defender Oscar Sorto, who was needed on the sidelines to give the Galaxy a full 18-man roster.
In Zardes’ place the Galaxy started Bradford Jamieson, who was impressive in his season debut, nearly stealing a goal in the second minute. But his pass toward a sliding Alan Gordon at the edge of the six-yard box was just a hair too long.
Seven minutes later the Galaxy got on the scoreboard with Baggio Husidic, perched near the left post, banging home the rebound of a Stefan Ishizaki shot.
Kristzian Nemeth evened things midway through the first half when he beat Galaxy keeper Jaime Penedo with Kansas City’s first shot, although it wasn’t completely Penedo’s fault — Nemeth came in on goal alone after getting by defender A.J. DeLaGarza deep in the penalty area.
It stayed that way until Gonzalez broke the tie, with his ricochet goal extending the Galaxy’s unbeaten streak at StubHub Center to 25 games.
It also gave the Galaxy an important three points in the standings, lifting L.A. to second in the Western Conference. A week ago the Galaxy was last.
“I couldn’t be prouder of these guys,” Gonzalez said. “We have just a ton of grit. This team fought hard.”