Photo courtesy of the LA Galaxy.
Sacha Kljestan saved the night for the LA Galaxy on Saturday.
Not a lot had gone the LA Galaxy’s way over the last two months.
Mired in a nine-match winless streak heading into Saturday’s home match against the Portland Timbers, just about everything that could go wrong for the Galaxy has gone wrong. Timely goals going against the Galaxy, which in turn have led to the Galaxy either splitting points or losing them all together. The winless streak had endangered the Galaxy’s once-secure playoff positioning in the Western Conference.
However on Saturday, the breaks finally went the Galaxy’s way. An errant clearance attempt led to a Chicharito goal, then a Timbers foul late in the match that gave the Galaxy a penalty, which Sacha Kljestan converted, were just what the Galaxy needed to get its playoff push back on track, and the Galaxy held off the Timbers 2-1 at Dignity Health Sports Park.
“I had an exhale, but my exhale is just because of the way the night went,” Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney said “It was another one of those nights where you felt like you weren’t sure if you were going to be able to pull off the play that you needed to make the difference and we gave up another goal, it was kind of a strange fashion and you feel like that has been the season, especially the second half of the season and so for sure there was an exhale, but I do feel like that from the group there was a confidence building, it was something that they deserved.”
The win leaves the Galaxy (12-11-6, 42 points) in a tie with Real Salt Lake for fifth place in the conference. More importantly for the Galaxy, the win puts some distance between them and Minnesota United as well as LAFC, Vancouver Whitecaps and San Jose Earthquakes.
The Galaxy got a fortunate bounce that resulted in its first goal of the match. LA’s Victor Vazquez played a ball into the penalty area, Larrys Mabiala attempted to cut off the ball, but whiffed badly, thus allowing the ball to fine the feet of Javier Hernandez, and he one-timed a shot into the upper net for his 13th goal of the season, which gave LA the 1-0 lead.
Photo courtesy of the LA Galaxy.
For the first timem since the Summer, the ball was bouncing the LA Galaxy’s way on Saturday night,
However, the same issues that plagued the Galaxy during this winless streak threatened to undo them once again. Portland pushed across an equalizer in the 72nd minute, as Santiago Moreno crossed a to a wide open Sebastian Blanco, who was just outside the penalty area. Blanco chipped a ball towards goal, and it looked harmless, as keeper Jonathan Bond did not make a play on the ball. Blanco’s shot however had a different outcome, as it bounced off the far post and across the goal line for a shocking equalizer.
The match went into stoppage time, and a draw seemed likely, but the Galaxy persevered, and earned one more chance to get the three points. Efrain Alvarez dribbled into the penalty area, Josecarlos Van Rankin came in for the challenge, and fouled Alvarez from behind, and referee Victor Rivas awarded the Galaxy the penalty, which Kljestan converted to give the Galaxy a lead they never gave up.
“Obviously always with Greg we have great conversations, if he puts me to start or off the bench, I am always ready for the team,” Alvarez said of Vanney’s confidence in him. “Like I have always said in many interviews, I’m ready to be play wherever Greg [Vanney] wants me to play and today he selected me off the bench and I was ready for it.”
