SEATTLE— LA Galaxy Insider Adam Serrano with his Three Points from the Galaxy’s 2-1 loss to Seattle Sounders FC. LA advance to MLS Cup 2-2 on aggregate thanks to the away goals tiebreaker.
SOUNDERS BAG TWO GOALS IN THE FIRST HALF TO PUT THE PRESSURE ON LA…
As expected, the opening stages of the LA Galaxy’s 2-1 loss to the Seattle Sounders FC were a knockdown, drag out battle.
The LA Galaxy began the match on the front foot, choosing to attack Seattle rather than sit back on their slim 1-0 lead. However, when the goal didn’t come, it provided further confidence for the Sounders who bagged a goal in the 26th minute of play. The goal came off a broken play when Obafemi Martins went down in the penalty area, but fed Clint Dempsey who crossed the ball across the face of goal to a waiting Brad Evans who placed it into the back of the net.
With all the momentum, the Sounders pressed forward mercilessly and doubled their lead less than 10 minutes later when Clint Dempsey launched a shot that took a late deflection off Omar Gonzalez and rolled past Jaime Penedo for Seattle’s second goal.
…LA RESPOND IN THE SECOND HALF AND ADVANCE
With their season hanging in the balance, the LA Galaxy needed to issue a response to the high-flying Sounders, and they did just that.
Seattle kept the heat up at the outset, but the Galaxy bagged the goal that they needed to take the advantage via the away goals rule. The tally came in the 54th minute when off a corner, Gonzalez found Landon Donovan, who dished it to Juninho who launched an absolute blast from 20-yards out that pinged the post into the back of the net. The goal was the Brazilian’s first career playoff tally and his first goal in 13 months.
Seattle soon wrestled control of the match after the LA goal and began putting considerable pressure on the Galaxy back line. With the Sounders pressing, the Galaxy dropped numbers deep into their own end, in an effort to hold the lead. Despite many nervy moments, the Galaxy held firm to defeat the Sounders.
REVS AWAIT THE LA GALAXY IN MLS CUP
With the Seattle Sounders now vanquished, the Galaxy will turn their focus to MLS Cup and a duel with the New England Revolution.
The 2014 MLS Cup will be the Galaxy’s ninth trip to the championship, which is a league all-time record. In the final, which they’ll host at StubHub Center, LA will face a Revolution side that the Galaxy leveled 5-1 in their lone match this season back in July.
The match will undoubtedly be an exciting one as the Revolution boast a stellar midfield that includes national team stars Jermaine Jones and Lee Nguyen. Expect a real battle as the Galaxy try to win a fifth MLS Cup.
