Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Dallas-Galaxy blog

90+ Dallas goal! Abe Thomson heads in off a McCarty corner kick. Wow. This SuperLiga match just tied an MLS record. The most goals ever scored in an MLS game was 11, the Galaxy versus Colorado 7-4 back in, when else, 1998.

90 + Galaxy goal! Donovan on the counter - passes to Pavon, who gets on the board for his first Galaxy goal.

90+ Ruiz wanted a call in the box, but Xavier played it smart.

90+ Although the match looks close, because it's not elimination, Dallas needs to win to advance, so they need two goals still. Galaxy just need to tie.

90+ This time the bounce goes Ruiz' way. He scores! The shot deflected off a sliding Ty Harden, giving Cannon no chance.

90 Five minutes of stoppage - Dallas header hits crossbar. So close.

89 - Off a corner, Cannon makes great save, but the Galaxy get lucky as the rebound goes through Carlos Ruiz' legs.

87 - Donovan made the goal down the middle look like he could have done that all day. Just so controlled, simple and easy.

85 - Donovan gets a yellow for taunting the crowd. I don't think he was ever popular in Dallas per se, but they hate him now for sure.

84 - now the crowd is alive! Donovan scores on the counter and does the cutthroat move - to shush the crowd.

83 - Galaxy nearly counter, Kirk just misses.

81 - Dallas goal! Toja gets it to Alvarez, who sneaks it in near post.

77- Goal - Dallas! Galaxy corner - cleared out. On the counter, a bad Galaxy backpass by Vagenas gets picked off by Oduro and he passes to Toja, who gets his goal. Cannon is down.

75 - Galaxy knocking it around, but Dallas gets a corner, cleared out.

70 - Oduro beats Harden, but Harden puts it out for corner. Dallas looking so much younger and trickier right now, though the scoreboards says Galaxy is dominant.

67 - Morrow checks his watch, as well he should. Dallas needs a play, quick.

66 - Toja is freaking everywhere. Dallas corners are testing the Galaxy's weak spots.

62 - I agree with the comment that this game is going to see a red. Dallas is frustrated, and too many Galaxy players have a yellow.

61 - Galaxy with a stretch of possession. Wow - it had been a while.

58- Toja pass to Alvarez, who tears up the right side, and Jazic is forced to chase and tackle from behind. Yellow to Jazic.

56 - Toja beats Kelly Gray, who is already committed to the tackle, and then gets called for a yellow.

55 - Dallas sets up right at the Galaxy box for a full minute before a shot goes wide. Cannon is pissed at his defenders.

53 - Actually, it's Dallas who looks good now - especially Alvarez. I've been gushing over Toja, but Alvarez is having a break-out year.

52 - Why can't the Galaxy play like this when I cover games? It's depressing to go to the locker room after a loss. Everyone is chipper after a win.

49 - All Dallas, all the time, but they need to score soon.

47 - Wow - Cannon with a great stop, then Ruiz nails a bicycle kick, but he's offside.

2nd half

Richetti is having a row with the officials - he's lucky he doesn't get a yellow. Alvarez did. Gordon got a yellow too. I'm not sure what for - the matchtracker says game disrepute.

Dallas fans furious - Toja down in the box, but the ref says it was a dive. He was close to the play, though.

45 +Galaxy fight off a corner, now face a free kick.

45 - it's a big uphill climb, though, and the Galaxy can counter all day, like they just did now with Donovan, who was stoned against Sala, but beat Adrian Serioux badly.


43 - Dallas really needs to s- and they do! Alvarez scored on a header from a Drew Moor cross.
It makes all the psychological difference, because the Galaxy were getting a little complacent with their big lead. Now Dallas has a charge.

40 - Game has settled down. Carlos Pavon is warming up. Frank Yallop might want to save Gordon.


37 - Now it's Alan Gordon's turn to run into a high kick from Saragosa. Goes down.

36 - Incidently, the team the Galaxy scored eight goals against? Dallas. That was the high-powered 1998 LA team.

34 - Ty Harden hipchecks Carlos Ruiz, who initiated the contact by running into him, but Harden didn't back down or give way. Ruiz down hard.

33 - This match won't count in the MLS record books, though, because it's not an official league match. So even if the Galaxy tie their MLS record for most goals scored - 8, it won't be a record.

28 - The Galaxy have let a four-goal lead slip away before, versus the San Jose Earthquakes in 2003, but that was on aggregate. I don't think they've ever lost a match when they've led by four goals. I'm not sure any MLS team has.

26-Morrow makes another first-half sub. This coach isn't giving up on this game. He's throwing his team forward. Rhine out for David Wagenfuhr.

25 - Maybe the Galaxy is getting the hang of this dealing with extra Beckham scrutiny.

24 Ruiz earns FK - right at top of box. Toja takes, cleared out.

20 - Ricardinho subbed out. Don't know if he's injured or if Morrow wants to reel this game back quick or save Ricardinho, or what.

18 - Wow - Harmse with a goal. They are bringing the hurt heavy this time.

17 - Three goals in fifteen minutes - that could be a Galaxy record.

15 - Galaxy score! Jazic with a nice cross to Alan Gordon, who heads it beautifully into the goal. Who needs Beckham? The Galaxy are putting on a clinic.

14 - Yellow to Harmse - a crunching tackle on Toja.

13 - Take heart, Dallas fans, it's not as if the Hoops haven't come back from multiple goals down before.

12 - Klein scores! Landon beat Bobby Rhine and laid the ball off to Klein in the box.
Nice play.

12 -I don't know who this SuperLiga announcer is in English, but he's sounds like he's trying to out VinScully Vin Scully. He's just got a baseball timbre and rhythm, which sounds weird to my soccer ear.

8 - I covet Juan Toja - meaning I wish he was on a local team, because I'd love to watch him play more often. He's great.

5 - Now it's all Dallas - pushing hard to get the goal back.

Ok, I'm not Luis, but let me try to blog this anyway. I'm not in the stadium, by the way. I'm watching at home.


Game starts.

Galaxy score. Gordon off a corner kick from Donovan.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! This is so ungly. Sala can't be 100% healthy. Either that or the Galaxy are one hell of a Jekell and Hyde team. There is no way Dallas should be allowing this kind of destruction to happen.

Anonymous said...

Instead of the Galaxy getting use to the Beckham scrutiny maybe they are enjoying being away from it all.

Anonymous said...

I don't know how Dallas can come back without a least 1 PK being called. An with them needing to get forward Donovan is going to burn them some more. Sub out Sala and put in Burse as he is more mobile.

Anonymous said...

The last yellow was, I think, because one of the Dallas players threw the ball at the ref and the ref saw it.

I don't know if there should have been a yellow on the Toja incident, but it was not a PK, IMHO.

Looks like Galaxy has adopted well the counterattacking style the MNT uses against more technical opposition. Very opportunistic good play by Donovan & Gordon. Still, if I am a Dallas coach, I'd be unhappy with the defense about at least two of these goals.

Anonymous said...

Someone is going to see red in this one. 5 yellow cards issued in the 1st half and Dallas looked like they were becoming unglued after that diving call.

Anonymous said...

I was happy with the moral victory gained by making Dallas fans feel stupid for buying a Beckham ticket. 4-0 after 20 minutes is like Christmas and the 4th of July all in one.

Anonymous said...

Wow an offside call on a bicycle kick. Looked good on the replay as I think the other Dallas players were passive offsides. Someone may want to do background checks on this official crew.

Anonymous said...

Oduro is just aweful with finishing. Dallas has no one to blame but themselves for coming out so flat and then not finishing so many chances. If they had played like this in the 1st 20 mintues the score wouldn't be this way. Visitors scoring 4 goals in the first 18 mintues at home, if I was a Hoops fan I would demand my money back and some expectation damages to boot.

Anonymous said...

Donovan with the taunt! An gets carded as he rightfully should. He out of all players should know better.

Anonymous said...

What a way to break a team! 6-4 this is insane!

Anonymous said...

Unreal without those 2 late goals scored the game would have been a tie. Now Pachuca will have to win and score I guess about 3 goals to advance?

Anonymous said...

Thats the best pub team I've ever seen:-)!

Anonymous said...

Andrea, I can't believe neither you or Luis predicted 6-5!

Unknown said...

Why is taunting not allowed? In every other league on the planet, after scoring the forwards put their finger to their lips as if to say "shush now" not the crowd. Let's not go the way of the NFL and ban celebrations!

Anonymous said...

Donovan may taunt a Dallas crowd but lets see him do that infront of Chivas or El Tri. He knows better then to try that crap in front of the wrong people. Where was all that against Chivas last Saturday? This team has to play like that when everybody is watching. When are the semi-finals?