CARSON, Calif. – The LA Galaxy have allowed the fewest goals in MLS this season and were up to their usual tricks in Sunday’s impressive 4-0 destruction of the New York Red Bulls in front of 25,102 at StubHub Center.
The league’s leading scorer, Bradley Wright-Phillips, was stopped on two good, early chances and the Galaxy’s back line generally was as stout as it’s been all season.
One of the biggest contributors to that defensive effort was goalkeeper Jaime Penedo, who earned his seventh shutout of the season and entered the game second in MLS in goals-against average at 1.13. Only Sporting Kansas City’s Eric Kronberg, at 1.00, has been stingier.
“He’s getting better,” head coach Bruce Arena said of Penedo. “Over the last, I’d say, six weeks he’s played very well. Tonight I thought he made a bunch of key saves in the first half to prevent the Red Bulls from getting back in the game.”
Penedo, who was not available for comment after the victory, missed three games earlier this month to take part in the Copa CentroAmericana, in which he led Panama’s national team to a third-place finish and earned the Golden Glove award that goes to the tournament’s best goalkeeper.
The general consensus among Galaxy coaches and players is Penedo, who turned 33 on Friday, came back to the team even better. And he had been solid to begin with.
“I think that’s pretty accurate,” right back Dan Gargan said. “He’s been switched on and has had a few plays where he’s read things early. And maybe a little bit quicker and he’s been really sharp.”
Added Arena, “His confidence has improved, his feet have gotten better and he was very good coming off his line on plays tonight. He blocked a couple of shots by Wright-Phillips.
“Very good, very good.”
Wright-Phillips, who has 24 goals – including three in a 4-1 victory over Seattle on Sept. 20 – tested Penedo in the 15th minute when he received a through ball from Thierry Henry and headed in on goal. But Penedo came out to challenge him and stopped him point-blank.
Penedo was at it again 16 minutes later on another dangerous effort by Wright-Phillips, who eventually left the game in the 82nd minute in favor of substitute Marius Obekop.
“Penedo was very sharp,” said the Galaxy’s Robbie Keane, who was brilliant in scoring his 16th and 17th goals this season. “He was very quick off his line, and you have to be when you have a player like Wright-Phillips who is very, very sharp around the box.
“Anything near the box he’s dangerous, so it’s important the keeper was alert and he was at all times tonight.”
Central defender A.J. DeLaGarza agreed with that sentiment.
“He was on,” he said about Penedo. “His passing, ball distribution … everything was on.”
Fellow defender Omar Gonzalez said he sensed Penedo’s demeanor had been different since he returned from national team duties.
“I think he came back with a helluva lot of confidence,” he said. “That’s great to see. I love seeing my keeper like that, and moving forward I hope he continues to play the way he has been and he keeps on playing like that.
“That’s great for us.”
