The Los Angeles Galaxy are headed to MLS Cup after a 2-2 aggregate decision (1-0 away goals) against the Seattle Sounders. While the end of the regular season Supporters’ Shield Showdown didn’t quit live up to expectations due to a Robbie Keane injury and an Omar Gonzalez suspension, this second leg had all the star power, momentum swings, unlikely heroes, and drama a sports fan could ask for. By the slimmest of margins, the Galaxy once again bested their North West rivals in a playoff series. There are so many story lines from this game. Here’s what went down on Sunday night:
First off, the Seattle Sounders are a damn good soccer club:
About 50 minutes into the second leg, I thought Seattle was on their way to MLS Cup. Yes, they once again fell in the playoffs at the hands of the LA Galaxy, but this team turned a corner when it won the Shield. This wasn’t a meltdown or an epic collapse like in 2012. This was a 50/50 game in which they came up short by the slimmest of margins, “an inch” as Stefan Frei said in the second leg.
Seattle had LA on the ropes late in the first half. I haven’t seen a team do that to the Galaxy since Tijuana in CCL play earlier this year. I’m not sure any other team has don what Seattle and Tijuana did to LA when LA has been close to full strength. They took the ball away, were winning the flank battle, and Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey were doing their thing. Seattle’s midfield broke up Marcelo Sarvas and Juninho and made them play as individuals instead of a tandem. Between the 20th and the 35th minute (the interval in which they scored both goals), they had 63% of the possession. The full backs for LA were all out of sorts, leaving Omar Gonzalez and Leonardo to chase shadows.
Many Sounders fans and critics will look at this as a disappointment. With a Shield and an Open Cup, this season can in noway be deemed a failure. I’ve seen the hashtag #SigiOut get started in twitter. I understand the frustration, but Sigi has done a marvelous job with this team, this year especially. If you want him gone, who’s replacing him? We’ve seen that most foreign coaches do not succeed in MLS, and if they do it takes awhile. No other quality coach is available.
Sigi would also have a job offer from half of the league the morning after he’s fired. Stick to your guns, in Sigi you must trust. He wasn’t outcoached in this game or this series. The only criticisms I can give are not bringing Marco Pappa off the bench sooner once you needed a goal and possibly leaving Ozzie Alonso out there too long. Alonso didn’t make any critical error that cost the game, but you could tell he was a liability late in the game.
For the first time in a playoff series with LA, Seattle had a level 50/50 chance of advancing. This team has turned a corner and I expect big things from them next year. From these last four games, I’m convinced they no longer fear LA. One decent defensive signing, and they’re my early pick to win MLS Cup next year. They will continue to be “first class” and one of the best clubs in MLS and North America. Sigi Schmidt is a big part of that.
Oh, and don’t forget about the whole 46,000 people at a playoff game.
Star players create, but don’t finish:
I know I argued that Donovan-Keane and Martins-Dempsey were going to be the the deciding factor in the series, but they seemed to cancel each other out. The four frenemies combined for 24 shots (9 on goal) in the series. They had one goal and one assist, both in the second leg. All four were dangerous and helped create chances for themselves, each other, and their supporting casts. But, meh, they’ve been better.
Landon Donovan was held at bay at times by Yedlin, but did have moments where he made good runs and passes into the final third. Robbie Keane did his usual work, and had a few looks at goal from the keeper’s right side at the top of the box (his sweet spot), but had trouble finishing. One could speculate that he’s still has a bit of a knock on his hamstring and his back.
Similar to Keane, Clint Dempsey did well to create and get open, but didn’t finish well. Yes, he had a goal, but it snuck through Jaime Penedo’s arms. The goal was as much Penedo’s butter fingers as Dempsey’s touch. Still, he had two good looks late in the game, but couldn’t find the net. Obafemi Martins was a madman in the second leg. He was all over the field, hold up play, passes, runs. It was a Hulk-like rage. I’ve never seen anything like it. Every time he got the ball, two Galaxy defenders were tight marking him, and he still had 49 passes. Martins was a frequent release valve for Seattle and he distributed it well himself.
LA’s stars were slightly better in the first leg. Seattle’s were slightly better in the second leg. Both sides had a good plan to limit the other’s stars and executed it well. Stefan Frei had several huge saves and Chad Marshall once again showed why he’s the Defender of the Year. LA was more of a group effort, with various players double teaming Martins at time and crowding around Dempsey in the box. Overall, I say neither side gained an advantage from their star players.
Role players and unlikely heroes shine:
While the stars weren’t able to finish and headline the decision on Sunday, the role players were. Taylor Twellman speaks often of the glue players, the supporting cast member who’s underrated and unsung but is clutch in crunch time. Every championship team has a Robert Horry. Junuinho and Brad Evans stepped up big when their teams needed them.
Evans made a run into the box and put a Dempsey cross into a wide open net. “I found myself on the left-hand side instead of the right. Just a poacher’s goal and hoping that the ball goes in the net.” Evans had a good response in the second half of the season after missing out on the World Cup. His goal was pure awareness and effort to get to the front of the net in time. Evans has made it in MLS with B talent because of his Soccer IQ. Seeing the play develop, predicting what will happen several steps ahead of the actual play, and making the run to finish off the goal.
Juninho attempted 41 shots from outside the box this season, more than any other player in MLS. He also had yet to score a goal this season and he picked the perfect time to open his account. Gonzalez flicked a Donovan corner kick to just outside the box, hoping for a second service. Juninho lay waiting just outside, one of the Galaxy trade mark areas to create shots and second chances off set pieces. The 25-year-old Brazilian timed his volley off the turf. It bounced once more, hit the inside of the woodwork and found the back of the net. “An absolute jewel.” Even when he has been on a bad run of form, Juninho is always capable from distance. All he needs is one chance, and he made the most of it. Juninho seems to elevate his game against Seattle; he’s now scored four goals against them, more than any other opponent in MLS.
Back and forth and back again:
This match had all the momentum swings of a heavy weight prize fight. The firth 10 minutes were a timid and tense. Both teams had trouble moving and passing, adjusting to the slick cold surface. While it got better after that, neither team ever seemed to recalibrate and get comfortable with the field. Turnovers were common all night, and ball carriers were able to split a defender or two on several occasions.
The Galaxy then had a decent 15 minutes in which they were able to hold the ball more and create a few silver chances. They weren’t able to capitalize, but Seattle was not going forward as much and they were able to build on their passes. Then one decent combination from Martins and Dempsey, and the aforementioned 15 minutes of Sounders domination led to a two goal swing.
LA had a good first leg and were off to a decent start in the second. One quick goal and Rave Green was revved up. Penedo blinked, and suddenly his team’s lead was turned upside down. Seattle had given their nemesis a taste of their own medicine; they’d flipped the switch. The Galaxy quelled the tide for the half, finishing with play similar to minutes 10-20. LA was lucky and thankful to have gotten to half time at only 2-0.
The opening of the second half was relatively even. The Galaxy had calmed down, the Sounders had come down from their adrenaline rush. While not dominating, all LA needed was one chance. “We challenged them early in the second half, got some good chances and then Juninho hit the back of the net,” said Bruce Arena after the game. While not a dominating period, the Galaxy had one moment of brilliance and the tide had once again turned. LA had the advantage in key moments while Seattle controlled longer stretches of the second half.
Seattle held 65% possession for the following 35 minutes after the goal. Schmidt made two attacking substitutions and pushed into a 3-5-1 with Yedlin in the midfield. In the final minutes, Marshall became a center forward. This led to the key factor that determined the series.
Galaxy defense outlasts Seattle Helm’s Deep style:
LA did not flip their usual switch and proceed to dominate the entire second half. They flipped the “grind it out and win by any means necessary” switch. Their experience and stingy defense came through. Late in the second half, it was clear that Seattle had one final push in them. Arena brought on Alan Gordon and had the team switch gears to sit back and counter. They continued to clog the center of the field, with the Brazilians giving no room for Martins and Dempsey to operate. Seattle had to go out wide with Yedlin and Pappa and deliver crosses in the box. Seattle couldn’t go up the middle or run in behind the back line.
LA used turn overs to spring a few wide counter attacks and play route one to Gordon. Eventually that petered out into clearing the ball to wherever, the equivalent of icing the puck in hockey. Arena dropped the back line and central midfielders deep. This forced Seattle to play the flanks and the Galaxy trusted Gonzalez and Leonardo to win the battles in the air. The rest of the team played mop up duty to clear the line then reset.
The two center backs combined for 18 second half clearances. Gonzalez has always been good in the air. As poor as Leonardo has been in the past, he has always been decent in the air as well. He was also on one of his best runs of form prior to a recent hamstring injury.
The 18 yard box was the Hornburg. Arena made Seattle use the flanks (the wall and the deep) and packed numbers into the box like King Theodin. Gonzalez and Leonardo became Aragorn and Gimli defending the front gate. “We had to hang on for our lives at the end there” Arena said after the game. The defenses had to hold and they did.
As big of a deal as attacking DPs are in MLS, defense is still what determines many of these playoff series. The stingier defense survived and advanced. Seattle’s defense might have been as good as LA’s defense, but LA’s defense was just a bit better than Seattle’s attack when it mattered most. The Sounders huffed and puffed, but just weren’t able to muster that one final attacking chance.
By the slimmest of margins, the Los Angeles Galaxy and Landon Donovan secured their date with New England. Sunday, December 7th at 3 PM EST. I just hope MLS Cup is as epic as this story and its subplots were.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on twitter @LWOSMattPollard. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Feel free to discuss this and other footy related articles with thousands of fans at r/football.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?
Main Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
