CARY, N.C. – Goalkeeper Scott Goodwin made eight saves and Daniel Jackson scored the game-winner as the Carolina RailHawks bounced the LA Galaxy from the U.S. Open Cup for the third consecutive tournament with a 1-0 extra time victory.
Goodwin's saves kept Carolina in the game before Jackson gave the RailHawks the lead in the 105th minute. With the win, the RailHawks will host FC Dallas in the quarterfinals.
From the opening whistle, the Galaxy controlled the run of play as they started a first team lineup that included captain Robbie Keane, but the organized RailHawks frustrated the Galaxy by dropping numbers deep into defensive third. LA nearly pulled ahead in the 24th minute when Juninho fired a blast from beyond the penalty area that Goodwin was able to tip over the bar.
The Galaxy continued to ramp up the pressure five minutes later when Juninho and Gyasi Zardes had attempts denied off the line. Robbie Rogers almost broke the deadlock nine minutes before half, but the Galaxy left back’s attempt sailed wide.
At the start of the second half, the Galaxy kept up the pressure and forced another moment of brilliance from Goodwin to deny a header by Kofi Opare. To add attacking punch, LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena put in Landon Donovan for Kenney Walker midway through the second half in hopes of breaking the deadlock.
However, Goodwin stood firm against the Galaxy’s pressure as the ‘keeper denied attempts by Donovan in the 84th minute and then again on Keane in the dying moments of regulation. Empowered by Goodwin’s heroics on the other end, Carolina forced Jaime Penedo to make a save with the last play on an attempt by Jackson.
Jackson would get another chance later, and this time made the Galaxy pay. After beating two defenders on the sprint in the 105th minute, Jackson made an uncontested run in towards Penedo and then drilled a shot past the LA goalkeeper's near post. The Galaxy peppered the Carolina net in the last 15 minutes with repeated chances from Donovan, but Goodwin and an organized RailHawks defense held firm to preserve the result.
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com
