The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Galaxy survive early bump in road to get `a good point'
The recent good run of form by the Galaxy hit a bump in the road early in Sunday’s game against St. Louis City SC.
However, thanks to a wild second half that saw the Galaxy play nearly 40 minutes with a man advantage, the Galaxy turned around enough to secure a point in a 2-2 draw in front of 19,554 at Dignity Health Sports Park.
“We’re down the stretch now, every point matters,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “The point, I hate saying it, at home, a point is a good point when you get yourself down 2-0. It’s a good point, but I know we all know that locker room felt like there was an opportunity for three points tonight and we let an opportunity slide.”
The Galaxy (7-10-9) moved up to 30 points in the Western Conference, now four points behind the ninth and final playoff spot with eight games remaining.
In the last 11 league games, the Galaxy are 5-16, but still in 13th place in the Western Conference.
“It is hard when you’re down 2-0, but we came back (after halftime) with the right mentality and put everything on the line for points,” Galaxy midfielder Uri Rosell said. “We knew they were a great team, that’s why they’re in first place, but we showed a good response.”
St. Louis, the firstplace team in the West, hit the Galaxy quickly, scoring in the fourth minute (Samuel Adeniran) and again in the 31st minute by Joao Klauss for a 2-0 lead that it would
take into halftime.
Despite the scoreline, Vanney said he thought his team could find a way back if they could score an early goal in the second half.
The chaotic rally started in the 53rd minute as Riqui Puig converted a penalty kick after Adeniran was called for a handball.
Adeniran would also figured into the later plot as he was issued a second yellow card after fouling Puig, leaving the Galaxy with a man advantage for the final 30 minutes of regulation and what would be
nine minutes of stoppage time.
The Galaxy finally scored the equalizer in the 82nd minute as substitute Billy Sharp scored off of a free kick. Diego Fagundez, in his 350th career appearance, sent the ball toward the back post, Rosell headed the ball back toward the center where Sharp was to beat St. Louis goalkeeper Roman Burki.
“Luckily for me I was able to get on the end of it,” Sharp said. “I made a career out of that the last 20 years to get on the second contact, balls were flying into the box and I felt I could get on the end of something. Uri put the header across the goal and I managed to get in front of my defender to put the ball
into the net.
“We’re at home in front of our fans and we lose two goals which are preventable . ... The reaction that we gave to get two back in the second half, to me it’s a point gained.”
From there, finally back even on the scoreboard, the Galaxy pushed for the potential winning goal, but would be unlucky in that process.
“We had opportunities to get the third goal, but just not enough overall for 90 minutes in terms of punishing them on the chances that we got, because we were in some good spots and we needed to execute,” Vanney said.
The Galaxy will return to action Saturday at BMO Stadium against LAFC.