Thursday, September 25, 2008

Chicago/Galaxy running blog

Last year, Chicago destroyed LA's playoff hopes in the final game of the year. This year, they could pretty much kill the Galaxy off - a little earlier this time around.

LD talks about doing "internal work". Sounds like colonics or something. LD gives a nod to Hispanic Heritage month, saying those were his soccer teammates when he was growing up. Foudy points out that the Galaxy will lose players in an upcoming game for international duty.

LD also does a bumper blurb in Spanish. "Arriba Galaxy" he says. He won't be hearing much of that tonight, frankly.

Galaxy - Wicks, Jazic, Franklin, Roberts, Klein, Becks, Vanney, Lewis, Donovan, Gordon, Buddle

Fire - Busch, Segares, Conde, Soumare, Prideaux, Rolfe, Pause, Mapp, Thorington, Blanco, McBride

Foudy thinks Blanco is going to have to step up to turn the Fire around. Stone points out that McBride doesn't really seem to have helped the Fire much since he joined them.

Kickoff!
1- Nice crowd. Not a big surprise, but still nice to see.
2 - Klein takes ball away from Mapp.
3 - Fire throw. Blanco seems really on tonight. Franklin fouls and give up a free kick to the Fire.
4 - Blanco takes it - hits it right to Wicks. Not Blanco's usual cannon shot.
7 - Blanco lays ball off, Mapp takes a shot. Way over.
8 - Gordon fouls Pause in midfield.
9 - Wicks saves a Rolfe shot!
10 - Chicago corner - Soumare header - Jazic clears off the line!
12 - Becks with a good volley pass, but Busch beats Buddle to the ball.
13 - GOAL! Rolfe! He got the ball poked away from him twice, but he got it back both times and sneaks the ball in far post. He shot through Troy Roberts' legs, and that seemed to throw Wicks off. 1-0 Fire.
26 - Corner for LA - Becks takes it. Galaxy get a throw out of it.
27 - It gets served into the box, but the header is way wide. Goal kick.
30 - Gordon with a low shot, but not fast enough to threaten Busch.
32 - Yikes. Harkes just said, "Beckerman" No.
34 - The crowd is building up momentum with Spanish chants.
35 - GOAL! Lewis! LD to Klein, whose low cross reaches the box, where Lewis gets a foot in front of Rolfe to poke the ball towards goal. 1-1
36 - Becks is grimacing like crazy. I think his ankle is hurt again. the announcers ignore it.
SAVE! Wicks. Blanco served the ball in, but Wicks made the save.
37 - Corner kick ends up with a shot over the bar by the Fire.
40 - Beckham to Buddle - who shoots just wide.
44 - Wicks punches a ball out, Thorrington serves it back in. Blanco is down after colliding with Wicks. He barreled right into him.
Blanco heads toward the sideline.
45 + He's back now - just got called for offside.
Halftime - the Galaxy fought back after the Fire went up early. It really depends who has the legs in the second half for the win, I think.
I can't believe Mauricio Cienfuegos isn't on ESPN's influential Hispanic players poll.
50 - Chicago is coming in hard and the Galaxy are scrambling to hold them off.
51 - Either LA will surprise the Fire on a counter or the Fire will get the goal they are pressing for right now.
52 - Wicks catches a tipped ball from Troy Roberts. Becks gets booed as he sets up for a corner. Over the bar. The Galaxy get another corner. It pops out and Becks serves it back in - Gordon heads wide.
54 - Harkes gushes over what Bruce Arena has brought to the Galaxy. Are we looking at the same team?
57 - GOAL! Blanco! On the counter on an outlet pass - Wicks mistimed coming out, collided with Roberts and couldn't get the ball. The home fans go crazy. 2-1 Fire.
59 - GOAL! Rolfe! A pass snuck through to Rolfe - though it looked offside to me, but the linesman keeps the flag down. Wicks gets a hand to it, but that doesn't stop the ball and it continues into the goal. 3-1 Fire.
63 - Even though the Fire were pushing hard for a goal, they actually scored on counter chance, not the the pressing opportunities.
66 - LA FK - right to the hands of Busch.
69 - Donovan missed a scoring chance near post. Nice feed from Klein.
71 - Another chance wasted - Lewis pass - LD tried to volley it but his touch was off.
78 - Even Harkes mentions Cien as influential - why isn't he on the poll, Harkey?
80 - Corner for LA. Various player have a chance at it, but a whistle blows - handball on Roberts.
86 - Jordan creates a corner kick chance. Becks takes it and Franklin gets a header on it. It's not a good one, though, and the ball goes wide.
Final whistle
Well, this was always going to be a tough game to win, but now the Galaxy are looking at having to win out to try to make the playoffs. That's nearly impossible, especially with all their internationals missing for another game.




16 comments:

  1. two teams going nowhere fast...

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  2. is terry vaugn refereeing tonight? expect him to score one for the gals

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  3. not looking great for the gals early on

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  4. awful defending on the goal

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  5. blanco's done, nothing left in the tank

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  6. okay, then. the gals are done, nothing left in the tank.

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  7. The Galaxy's right back kept Rolfe on.

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  8. does this mean the gals are done for the season?

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  9. Yes they're done,just not mathematically.

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  10. harkes... isn't he the one with the 1,000-watt smile?

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  11. awful goalkeeping and defending + wasting the chances on top.

    the english guy doesn't really seem to care or try aynmore other than his ALWAYS high/long balls - sometimes a short or ball on the ground pass would be a good choice, specially if their defense is winning almost evertyhing in the air.

    No matter if the G's somehow miracle like make the playoffs and do well (what I still hope, but realisticly doubt)

    a new #1 keeper is a must! Cronin and Wicks are not good enough.

    a centerback so we don't have to play Roberts there anymore

    a kick up the englishmans pride...

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  12. the englishman looked pretty average to me last night again... when will management put together a real team on the field, not just a marketing strategy... that's what i would like to know.

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  13. Before the season, I made the following predictions on this blog:

    1. The Galaxy would finish last in the West.

    2. The Galaxy would not win 10 games.

    3. The Galaxy would concede at least 60 goals.

    4. Ruud Gullit would resign before the end of the season.

    5. Abel Xavier would leave before the end of the season.

    Predictions 4 and 5 are now fact, and Predicitions 1-3 have a better-than-even chance of becoming fact.

    Justin, you'll have to get a Texas-sized mask because you're going to be eating a lot of my dust...

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  14. And now for something completely different: this poem by Big Soccer's Dan Loney. Truer words have rarely been written:

    This morning when Timmy arrived at his job,
    He was met by a furious torch-waving mob.
    "You stuck us with Sampson! You gave us Alexi!
    You hired that guy who thought football was sexy!
    We're still in last place! The Galaxy stink!
    Resign from your post! Yes, that's what we think!"

    Tim raised his hands and said, "What can I do?
    I'm mad as well, just as angry as you.
    I went to the team and said, start playing better!
    But the coach handed me a go-sex-yourself letter.
    I did bring us Beckham, I did bring us Landon.
    This lack of success wasn't something I planned on.
    But I have the solution to keep us from reeking.
    Take the old DP rule, and just give it a tweaking.
    The salary cap is what's holding us back.
    Free up some space and we'll soon be on track."

    Just then spoke a man who arrived from Columbus
    "Don't listen to him! He's just trying to numb us!
    He'll cover his ass and he'll try to save face,
    He just wants to change rules since he's stuck in last place!
    He brought in Dominguez! He brought in Pires!
    Why should we care what this idiot says?
    We're not DC or Dallas, and we're not Kansas City.
    To win, don't spend money on players who are ______.
    Where I come from, our team has a motto,
    Who needs a DP? We have Barros Schelotto!
    You suck. And you're stuck. And you're ____ out of luck.
    So go roll a donut, and take a flying ____."

    But Timmy just shrugged and then quietly answered,
    "This is Dr. Seuss cadence. Your lines have been censored.
    As for you, fans, with your pitchforks and pickets,
    We have two more home games, so you'd better buy tickets.
    Our team is so bad, but we sell out each night.
    Logically, then, I am doing things right."
    And the crowd was left helpless and sad and frustrated
    As they bought Beckham jerseys and then dissipated.
    Timmy relaxed, he thought this was so funny.
    He's not here to make friends.
    He's just here to make money.

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  15. The poem doth hug and bite all at once. Masterful.

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